Texas Holdem Strategy Video Source & Information:
There’s four million dollars still to be won, but a 300k money jump is staring Marc Rivera in the face. What should he do with pocket queens?
Suggest a hand for the Breakdown on Twitter: @2PokerGuys
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes: goo.gl/jh8ltP
Subscribe to the podcast on Android: goo.gl/jNc78M
Podcast on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-594538171
Sweet Poker Guys Merch: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/the-poker-guys
Source: YouTube
I hate this fold. The whole reason we played QQ this way was to bluff catch against the mega chip leader who is opening super wide and putting ICM pressure on everyone. It’s really hard for him to have a 7 (there are 2 on the board), I doubt he bets the turn with a 6. Yes, he can certainly have rivered a flush on us but who cares. If we weren’t willing to call down on pretty decent boards, we should’ve 3bet preflop and defined his range a little more. This fold hurts my physically, it’s hard to watch the guy punked.
I think the guy with QQ should have shoved the turn to charge all of the extra possible draws that the turn brought up.
Interesting note just for context. Right before this hand martini opened AK in the high jack with the 2bb stack on the button. The best player at the table shoved on the button with AJs and 24 blinds. The AK held and that AJ guy was the last player not to win 7 figures. It must have felt horrible. So i agree Rivera’s line isn’t optimal, and I agree that there’s reverse ICM, but I could never fault a guy for guaranteeing himself and his family $300,000. I guess that’s what sick and cruel and beautiful about poker, and what separates the good ones from the great ones is the ability to navigate all these spots.
He looked miserable calling the turn, which looks like a clear tell.
Why not just shove turn?
Pull up some graphics and show the ev of a pre flop shove…
Side note, I hate live stream events… would be cool if pokerstars only did episodic tournament coverage again.
So easy to CRAI OTT.
Martini was playing to win. Rivera was playing to not lose. Can't really blame him for that given the situation, though.
A flush should not shove the river and yet you recommend QQ to call. Doesn’t make sense.
I love your comment about how if you are going to play very sub-optimally post flop, you should just shove pre-flop.
It’s similar to the advice that I give to novice cash game players about big pre flop hands like Aces and Kings – if you are going to play them poorly post flop (in this example, they tend to hold on too much / have entitlement tilt when they are outflopped), you are much better off making the action way too big preflop. You give up some EV versus optimal raise and 3 bet sizing, but that is a lot less than the EV you would give up by misplaying the hand on later streets.
The worst thing you can do when you are scared is to play passive weak. If Rivera can’t get behind a shove, then he should just fold everything until the 2 BB bubble bursts, because he is clearly just giving away chips by playing this way.