One of my students asked me about this hand today, and I thought it was pretty interesting. My first instinct was that the check-raise was thin but good. Q8 is pretty much the top of Hero’s range here, and this looks like such a weird line that I doubt Villain folds anything he was betting for value.
The question, then, is how many worse hands Villain plays like this for value. After discussing the hand for a while, we decided there actually weren’t many. AT+ mostly 3-bets pre-flop, 98 and 68 probably aren’t betting the turn, 96 needs to be discounted for lack of a flop raise, and does A7 go for two streets of value? I think it ought to, but most players probably chicken out and check the river or bet smaller.
So I think this is a shove against really good value betters but a call against pretty much any 2/4 player.
No-Limit Hold’em, $4.00 BB (4 handed) – Hold’em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Button ($620.90)
Hero (SB) ($458.70)
BB ($440)
UTG ($359)
Preflop: Hero is SB with Q
, 8
2 folds, Hero bets $10, BB calls $8
Flop: ($24) 9
, A, 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $16, BB calls $16
Turn: ($56) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $40, Hero calls $40
River: ($136) 8
(2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $100, Hero raises $390.70 (All-In), BB calls $272 (All-In)
Total pot: $880
Results:
Hero had Q, 8 (two pair, Queens and eights).
BB had A, 8
(two pair, Aces and eights).
Outcome: BB won $878