No-Limit Holdem Quiz #3, by Grant Pittman

This quiz is based on an actual hand I was involved in during a real money no-limit hold'em game.The blinds are $25-$50 and you are dealt two red kings on the button.Unfortunately, everyone has passed to you.You have been playing with most of these players for the last 3 hours and each time you have opened the pot it has been to $200.You decide to continue the trend and make it $200 to go from the button.The SB, an aggressive loose talented player, makes it $700 flat.The BB folds and you decide to call the extra $500.The pot stands at $1450.

The flop comes 3-3-7 with two hearts and the BB bets $1000 at you.He has about $7000 remaining and you have $11000.Remember that your lone opponent is a very good reader of hands and people and has some gamble in him.

Question #1: How would you play your hand before the flop?

Question #2: When the SB raised it $500 more how would you now proceed?

Question #3: After the flop the SB bet $1000.How would you play your hand from here? You will need to consider several factors before making your decision.

Answer.

The first question I asked was how you would play KK in this situation before the flop.Everyone agreed that a $200 bet was a good plan.I considered other options at the time but this one was the only sensible one.To deviate a lot from the norm would either tip your opponents off (these guys were damn good no-limit players in the blinds!!!) in the case of a weak bet, or send them running if I had bet too much.Good answer by all!

The next question I asked was what you would do once the SB raised and it was $500 more to play.In the actual game I thought about my response for about 10 seconds.I was excited about the potential for my hand since my opponent was deep in chips.I contemplated a reraise but there was too good a chance he would dump the hand.I wanted to take a shot at all his chips so I called and "invited" him to stay awhile.I am a big fan of trying to score big when you have a monster hand in no-limit.I have always been willing to risk losing some to win big.There was an opportunity for this to occur so I decided to give it a chance and just called.

The last question I asked was how you would play your hand on the 3-3-7 board with 2 hearts when facing the $1000 bet.I included the facts about your opponents playing style and that he had about 7 grand remaining to your 11 thousand.

I didn't think that long about my decision.I think it was due to the fact that I was familiar with my opponent and I had NO CLUE what he held at the moment!!! Sure he may have a pair or a flush draw.He could easily hold no hand also.He wasn't the type to shut down on a hand when there was $1500 up for grabs without taking a shot at the pot.I decided to raise the bet and make it $2500 flat.I thought this was the best way to perhaps bait my opponent into bluffing while still giving my hand some protection.

If he held a pair he would be faced with a tough decision.It would be very difficult for him to release QQ or JJ at this point (hands I was hoping he held that were good possibilities) and I was trying to induce him into committing all his chips right now.There was no way that this player would have flat called with JJ or QQ when facing my raise.He simply played too well for that.I was forcing him to reraise or fold.The reraise was better for me but the fold was fine also.Either way he wasn't seeing the turn for free! The other benefit to raising $1500 more is that it charges him a proper price to proceed if he has a big ace type of holding.

Some of you mentioned that he may have held a flush draw and you wanted to raise to protect against that draw.I agree that it is possible he had a heart draw but if I was going to "price him out" of that draw I would have to make a much bigger raise.I wasn't afraid of playing my hand for all my money at this point but I didn't want to lose my opponent if he did have an underpair to kings.I made my raise knowing that I was giving him the right price to draw with hearts in exchange for the possibility that he would put in a lot of chips badly.I was getting the best of the bet here.

After I raised, he paused for a moment.I was looking at him closely and was certain I was in good shape.He had a look of concern on his face that I felt was genuine as he just called my $1500 raise.The pot was at $6450.The turn card brought the 7 of spades.I liked this card! There was little chance that he took the heat with a lone 7 in his hand on the flop.His 2 pair possibilities would have been dismal with the board already paired on 3's.He checked.

What to bet now??He had about $5500 left.I went back to my original thought about how he would play a pair after I had raised.I was sure he would not have just called.It was just too weak a play for him to make.What else could he hold.I had the king of hearts so it wasn't AK of hearts.He would have been aggressive preflop with AJ or AQ of hearts and he would have called my raise with that hand after the flop.I had taken a chance on the flop and allowed the heart draw to look at the turn cheaply (plus he probably had the ace which made it more risky for me!) and now it was time to shut him out.I was sure the only hand he could hold was Ax of hearts.I bet 6 grand, enough to set him in, and he folded.

After he mucked his hand, he asked the dealer to see the river card.I immediately objected!! The dealer paused and told the player that she couldn't show him the river card if someone objected.I am a fair player and a respectful man to others but there is no way I was going to let one of my opponents boost his confidence by confirming that he folded correctly.It was obvious now that he had a heart draw and he was more likely to have missed it so I wanted it to remain a mystery.I said to my opponent "Show me your hand and I won't object ".He reached into the muck and pulled out the AQ of hearts.Wow......I was right on the money I thought to myself as the dealer put the ace of spades on the river.

Hope you enjoyed this hand.Great job with your responses!!! Keep on thinking.

GRANT PITTMAN