Fun hand right? haha!

It's certainly difficult to assess what is the optimal play in this weird spot.

At the time, he knew that I knew he was blind, so if I shoved all in he will probably make the call if he has been dealt a half decent hand.

However in hindsight I much prefer making sure he sees a flop. If he managed to make a pair or a draw he's going to be in a very tricky situation and will probably pay off at least a few bets.

Personally I like to look as weak as possible here by flat calling. The weaker I look the more likely he will be to pay me off if he makes a pair.

However at the time I re-shoved all in, hoping for him to wake up with a half decent hand and make a call with his big stack. He looked at his cards and chuckled as he flipped over his 84o.

I do actually mean blind - i.e he hasn't looked at his cards! There's a chance he lied about this, but I didnt see him look at them and my instinct was that he was telling the truth about having not looked.

Thanks for the replies so far guys. Lots of comments already in just half a day, I'll let a few more people comment before posting the results and my thoughts.

I call pre. Seems a tad nitty to fold to a min raise thats already been called, although we are OOP.

On the flop I flat call, but I think I turn up the aggression and fire two barells (the second being all in) If a spade hits the turn. Bluffing the spades kinda makes them outs to help you win the hand if you miss your straight.

What on earth does he not C-bet with that is now happy to check raise the turn  ??

Any two diamons would surely c-bet as would all pairs?

Personally I like c-betting even 77 and 22 here as people can pay you with draws and other pairs.

I think its likely he has a naked Q possibly with a backup diamond.

I call, and pray there isnt another diamond on the river. If there is I reassess and likely fold to a strong bet. If the river is a blank I call another bet.

I call it. Quite often I see the turn lead after being re raised as a weird defensive bet, then see an all in as a bad bluff. I wudnt be surprised to see JJ-KK (particularly with a club) here completely mis played.

As for flat calling on the turn, you're opponent probably thinks thats weak (if hes thinking) as you re raised the flop and now are "just" calling.

What an awful spot!

Pre flop I probably find a fold, your play is fine post flop. It does look like you made your flush, but he is still happy to raise you?

Surely 2 pairs like AQ or AK all flat call or fold, if he's a competent player he will know that only a stronger hand than 2 pair can call his re raise. Is he sophisticated enough to a 2 pair hand into a bluff? Very very few players are in my experience.

Its very hard to not put him on a full house here, but there is the possibility he semi bluffed a worse flush on the flop and made it on the turn.

You've got about 3:1 on the call if I've done my maths right. Lacking any other information I think I make a fold here.

Actually scratch that, in the heat of the moment I probably make a crying call. But poker is much easier typing on a keyboard!

Do we have any other information on him? Has he been caught bluffing? Has he played manically at all? Has he flat called on the river with a fairly strong hand when there are danger cards out there? Has he raised a suited connector pre flop? Has he semi bluffed?

I've just joined this forum having been introduced to it by a guy named John who I met recently at DTD's Monte Carlo festival a few weeks ago. (a very funny bloke with some fun side games to offer while playing cash games!)

My names Ian Simpson, I just won the Irish Poker Open 2013 and I write for card player magazine. As way of introduction I'd like to share a bizarre hand that took place at the $10,300 5 diamond world poker classic about 6 months ago.


It had been a damn hard day. I'd had two pretty horrible coolers that cost me chips. Early in the day there were a number of poorer players at the table but I just couldn't seem to catch them out. Then a super lag sat down to my left and made my life hell. Not only that but Dwyte Pilgrim was at my table as well as the very talented Xuan Liu. Then the fish got eliminated. One was replaced with what seemed a solid player and the other was replaced by Carlos Mortensen!

Hells bells.

So day 1 was very difficult, but I was over the moon with how well I'd been playing. They ask the raining champion to draw a card to see how many hands we will play. He draws an ace meaning 1.

I look down and see two more aces. the blinds are 150/300/25 Xian Liu raises to 750 I re raise to 1700. A friendly satellite qualifier announces a blind 4 bet to 3500!

Hells bells.

Whats your play? You have approx 14,000 left behind the blind raiser is one of the chip leaders and is on around 75,000. Xian Liu folds. My image may seem weak tight as I have had to give up a number of pots to the super lag to the left and have been waiting for a hand to trap him with.

As for the satellite player, all day he has maybe raised 6 or 7 times. Each time it has been 6-8 BBs and each time he has shown JJ+ or AK either intentionally or has went to showdown. He has occasionally limped today as well. He played AK suited passively on a 2 spade flop and an ace on the turn. He bet the river having made his flush oop.