Hand # 3. In a $1-$2 NLHE cash game that allows a maximum buy-in of $200, I'm in the SB with 7d-7h and about $215. The player UTG raises to $6; a player in MP calls, I call and the BB calls, everyone else folds. The flop comes 2s, 4h, 6d. I check, the BB checks and UTG bets $10, not quite half the pot. The player in MP calls, I call , the BB raises to $20, which I and UTG call, but the player in MP folds. There are now three players in the hand and the pot is $94. The turn card is 3s. I check, BB checks and UTG bets $25. I fold and and BB calls.
Question: What cards does the UTG player have?
Answer
Hand # 3. Before we get to UTG's hand, let me tell you that I folded for several reasons. Yes, I had an inside Straight draw, but the pot was laying me less than 5 to 1 for a 7 to 1 shot (four 5s and two 7s available in the remaining 46 cards), but I also felt that BB had raised in order to either define his hand or simply because he felt UTG had A-K and missed the flop completely. (That happens a lot and I love it. Someday I'll tell you how to make a bunch of $$$ off players who do that.) Anyway, I was out because I felt UTG had a big pocket pair, and BB might have a set. At the showdown, BB had Ad-2d and UTG had (drumroll, please): Qs-Qh. UTG played his pair cautiously but not timidly, in my humble opinion. He knew he might be up against a set, but until he saw real evidence of that, he kept firing at the pot, although - and this was the giveaway to me - it was just a small fraction, rather than the 50 to100% of-the-pot bets I expect to see from a player with the nuts. Of course, he didn't have the nuts, but his persistance told me he thought he had the best hand. Had a King or Ace come on the turn or river, I'm sure he would have gone into a check and call mode, which might have allowed BB to steal the pot (or win it outright with his Ace.) I was surprised to see BB hang in there with A-2, but I guess the pot odds of 5 to 1 were appealing since he had some outs (which gave him an 11% probability of winning - 8 to 1 odds). "Ace huggers" always think the next card will be a bullet and I love them for it.
(Source: GameMaster)
