This was my bust-out hand from yesterday’s $300 weekly on Poker Stars. This is a minor point, but there’s almost no downside to doing it, so it’s worth considering:
Poker Stars, $300 + $20 NL Hold’em Tournament, 300/600 Blinds, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter
BTN: 9,634
SB: 30,900
Hero (BB): 5,625
UTG: 18,341
UTG+1: 18,050
UTG+2: 11,081
MP1: 21,885
MP2: 15,364
CO: 22,067
Pre-Flop: (1,350) A
K
dealt to Hero (BB)
UTG raises to 1,750, 4 folds, CO calls 1,750, 2 folds, Hero raises to 2,900, UTG raises to 5,775, CO calls 4,025, Hero calls 2,675 and is All-In
Flop: (17,875) 8
2
7 (3 Players – 1 is All-In)
UTG checks, CO bets 16,242 and is All-In, UTG folds
Turn: (17,875) 9 (2 Players – 2 are All-In)
River: (17,875) 2 (2 Players – 2 are All-In)
Results: 17,875 Pot
Hero showed A K (a pair of Deuces) and LOST (-5,625 NET)
CO showed 9 9 (a full house, Nines full of Deuces) and WON 17,875 (+12,050 NET)
If there weren’t two players in the pot already, I would just move all in pre-flop. I’m in good shape versus anyone’s calling range, and I’m also happy taking it down preflop. In this spot, though, I’ve got almost no chance of winning without a showdown.
What I want, then, is to do everything in my power to showdown against only one opponent rather than two. I don’t really have enough chips to accomplish this on my own, so I need to give the other players in the pot every opportunity to help me out. By only reraising the minimum pre-flop, I give myself the opportunity to re-open the betting again after the flop.
In other words, what I don’t want to happen is for both players to call my all in pre-flop and then check it down all the way. I’d rather one of the players isolated me and knocked the other guy out. That’s really what they both ought to want also, but many dumb players think they are supposed to check it down. If I raise less than all-in pre-flop and they both call, I can move all in after the flop. This makes it more likely that the first player to act after me will raise rather than call in a situation where he may have checked otherwise. Hell, he might even fold! It’s a longshot, but there’s really no drawback to leaving yourself some chips to try something like this, so it doesn’t have to make a difference very often to make it a better play than just shoving at the first opportunity.