History: It is the opening level of the 2005 WSOP Main Event and Jennifer Harman is set to do battle with Corey Ziedman, a wealthy amateur who has enjoyed the occasional score (third in the 2010 Wynn Classic for $139,144) as well as appearances on High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark. There has been little in the way of action, meaning both players have modest stacks of circa 10 to 15,000.
The game is currently nine-handed and you are under the gun; Zeidman is in middle position. Blinds are 25/50.
You look down at [Qd-Qc].
What’s your move? Given the low standard in the Main Event, would you advocate making a larger than normal raise? Is there any value in limping?
Simon Mairs says:
“I’m always raising here, and given the likelihood of getting callers, I’m probably going to raise to 250/300. I want people to pay to try and draw out on me, and I want to narrow the field. I don’t really like limping Q-Q. Firstly, people are often just happy to see a flop, so I’m not expecting to get squeezed often, and even if I do, I’m then not super happy to raise a squeezer, as I’m probably going to have to fold if they raise back, or end up playing a big pot out of position.”
Rob Jarrett-Smith says:
“I’d make this 200 to 250 which is a larger raise, in terms of multiples of big blinds, than I’d normally put in. I’d certainly advocate putting in bigger raises with strong hands against weaker opponents. I’m not a fan of limping under the gun and then potentially reraising if someone puts in a raise after I act. It telegraphs my hand as being a big pair and I’d sooner just put in a bet under the gun with pocket queens as I would do with all hands I’d play from that position.”
Harman raises to 200.
The action folds to Zeidman who calls.
Brady Davis calls in the big blind.
Flop: [Ts-Jd-Qh] (Pot = 625)
Davis checks
What’s your move? How would your decision be different if there were only two players in the hand?
Simon Mairs says:
“I’m always betting here, but will already be proceeding with caution a little given we are 200 big blinds deep. Our problem is, how much action can we get from hands we beat? Our hand is the fourth nuts at the minute, and it is quite easy to put us on A-K for the nuts, so very few hands are coming along here, only two pair or better really with no flush draw out there, and we have two queens in our hand. Even K-Q or Q-9 will not give much action here, as they could be drawing dead or to a chop. I’m betting with one or two villains in the hand; I want to get rid of random straight draws.”
Rob Jarrett-Smith says:
“I’d bet pretty big here, probably around 500 to pot. This flop is likely to have hit one or both of my opponents and whilst I’ve got a very strong hand, there’s a lot of turn cards which could complete draws, or slow the action down.
If I was up against one opponent, I’d bet slightly smaller, maybe 400 to 500.”
Harman throws one 500 chip onto the felt.
With little hesitation, Zeidman announces “2,000”, albeit with a shaky voice.
Davis folds.
What’s your move? What’s the best card that can hit the turn?
Simon Mairs says:
“Sat at home playing online I would groan and swear at the monitor. This shows so much strength given the board texture plus shaky voice. Obviously, I’m never folding - he could conceivably be bluffing, have a lower set or an unlikely two pair - but I’m just flat calling here and really hoping to fill up. Best card on the turn is the case queen - it makes lower sets more likely, and happy to pay me off, as J-J has to figure it’s near enough the nuts on this board if the queen hits.”
Rob Jarrett- Smith says:
“I’d call. It’s possible, albeit unlikely, that Zeidman could have flatted A-K against an under-the-gun open. More often, though, I’d expect him to have a pair and a draw like K-J/K-T. We’re deep enough that he could also have called our open preflop with suited connectors like 9-8/T-9. That said, I would not expect to be raised by someone drawing to the idiot end of the straight.
The best cards that could hit the turn would be a jack or 10. This would likely improve our opponents’ hands whilst giving us a near lock on the hand. I’d sooner a jack or 10 than a queen here.”
Harman sits back, arms folded, then makes the call.
Turn: Td (Pot = 4,625)
What’s your move? What range are you putting him on?
Simon Mairs says:
“Gin, or near enough. I check here. I put Zeidman on a straight, a house or quads, any air in his range is finished with the hand I think. If he has a house or quads, it’s all going in anyway. My concern is getting maximum value from his straights, so I think the check is best. He’s maybe only going to pay off one more street with a straight here now the board has paired and the pot has got big.”
Rob Jarrett-Smith says:
“Bingo. This is a dream turn card. I’d check and let Zeidman maintain being the aggressor in the hand, with the intention of raising him when he bets.
I am still putting his range to be primarily pair and straight draws that have improved to trips. I’m also assigning some of his range to a flopped straight with A-K being the most likely.”
Harman, casually chewing gum, taps the table with her fist.
Zeidman bets 1,000.
Harman makes it 3,000.
Zeidman huffs, shakes his head and mumbles to himself.
“Think you might have A-K, actually. Hoping it wasn't that, now I'm hoping something else. Jesus. How can I possibly muck this hand. I call.”
“Aaaaah, the perfect card for Zeidman!” screams Lon McEachern as the next card is dealt…
River: [7d] (10,625)
Zeidman makes what Norman Chad calls an “amateur move” and looks back at his cards.
What’s Your Move? Is there any point in checking? What did you make of Zeidman’s small bet on the turn?
Simon Mairs says:
“After his speech play, I have to assume I was ahead on the turn, but he’s not happy, so I have to bet my hand here. I bet maybe a little more than Harmon, say 6,000. I don’t think he has any straights left in his range for calling anything, so I want value from his houses. His small bet on the turn is an odd one, and may just be a bad attempt to get to get a cheap showdown.”
Rob Jarrett-Smith says:
“Zeidman’s chat on the turn is very interesting, seeing as I’d actually been assigning a great deal of his range to the exact type of hands he seems to have us on. He seems to be implying he had a monster on the flop and it’s lost a great deal of value, so I’d be wondering if he flopped top two (Q-J), had slow-played K-K or perhaps had the lower end of the straight (9-8). In all of these instances, I think I can get him to pay off a river value bet, so I’d put in something around 3 to 5,000.
Zeidman’s small bet on the turn looked to me like it was a probe for information.”
Harman bets 3,000.
Zeidman puts his hands on his head and says, “Guess I can do a lot of sight seeing if I lose this hand. All in.”
Harman calls.
“Straight flush,” declares Zeidman planting [9d-8d] onto the felt.
Harman rises from her chair in disgust. I knew you have that hand.”
“It was hard to get off. I'm like I flopped the flush, A-K is the only hand that's going to beat me.”
Don't put a seven of diamonds up there,” sighs Harman.
“Nice hand,” congratulates a neighbour.
“Thank you. Come on,” he says, waving his hands in an effort to induce applause. “A little for that, something.”
How do you feel about the way Zeidman played the hand. Could he have folded the turn?
Simon Mairs says:
“I think Zeidman’s turn bet was awful. What was he thinking? The board pairs, he has the worst possible straight, he should be delighted to take his free two outer to the nuts. When Harman check-raises him, it’s an easy fold. She never has a bluff here often enough for him to call, and that’s all he’s beating now. Can Harman fold the river? Maybe, what hands can shove here? Only Q-T, J-T - both unlikely, what’s calling? So J-J, but even that has to wonder what’s calling, only Q-T and J-T, but maybe not.
This is one of those hands where the action can only be from monsters, and there are not many about that can raise her on the river, and 9-8 of diamonds and T-T both really fit his betting sequences. Easy to say in hindsight though, I think at the time folding this would be near enough impossible, and it would be considered one of the all time great folds if she’d managed it.”
Rob Jarrett-Smith says:
“I think pre-flop Zeidman’s play is fine; he’s 200 plus big blinds deep, in position and has the exact type of hand that can hit a lot of flops and crack an under-the-gun premium pair.
On the flop, I think the call is fine, but I’d probably be more likely to raise. Harman’s range consists of a lot of big pairs, which have all hit the board, some have made sets, others have open ended or gutshot straight draws. The downside is that A-K is perfectly within Harman’s range but I’d be willing to raise her here and reevaluate if she three-bet me. If the flop was two-tone, then I’d raise 100 percent of the time.
The turn is not a great card for Zeidman but I hate putting in such a small bet. I’d be happier to fire out half-pot and fold to a check-raise than to put out a bet of this size. By making such a small bet we give Harman the opportunity to bluff check-raise us and price in all of her draws to simply flat call our bet.
When we get raised on the turn, this hand is a fold; we’re crushed by so many hands that it becomes difficult to see how we can continue, particularly given that we’re likely to face a further bet on the river. Ironically, by putting in such a small bet, Zeidman gives himself the odds to call hoping to be up against A-A/K-K, but I just don’t feel Harman would check-raise those hands often enough to ever warrant this turn call. This hand should be in the muck rather than drawing to a one outer.”
Simon Mairs and Rob Jarrett-Smith both became Blue Belts as a result of the Grading process. If you would like to express your views on the hand, then please leave your feedback in the comments’ box below.