SCOOP Day 6: $2K 6-Max Shootout

I intended to play the $1K Big Antes event as well, but I didn’t realize (or more precisely, had forgotten) that it was a rebuy. Initially I thought that I hadn’t presented it as such to my investors, and consequently didn’t register for it, but then one of them pointed out to me that I had actually accounted for it as a rebuy. After looking at the field, though, I decided it might be a good idea not to play anyway, particularly not as a late register.

The field in the $2K 6-Max was no joke, either. My Round One opponents consisted of three top-notch tournament players (Amak16, P0cket00, and SmokRokFlok) and a sixth player I didn’t recognize. Honestly, I was a bit intimidated. Not that I didn’t think I could hold my own, but I certainly wasn’t expecting much of an edge.

That last player turned out to be pretty weak, which was a relief, and it wasn’t as tough as I thought to spot fundamental leaks in the other players’ games. Two of them quickly ran PFRs into the 30s, and people were just generally playing too many hands pre-flop. Of course they were tough post-flop, but if everyone is tough post-flop, then the player with the best pre-flop ranges has the edge. I aimed for that player to be me.

I think I accomplished that, but I still had to be tough post-flop, and that’s where my chips got off to:

PokerStars – $2000+$100|30/60 NL (6 max) – Holdem – 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com

Hero (SB): 64.28 BB
BB: 157.52 BB (VPIP: 45.83, PFR: 29.17, 3Bet Preflop: 13.64, Hands: 49)
UTG: 28.67 BB (VPIP: 31.37, PFR: 22.00, 3Bet Preflop: 7.41, Hands: 52)
CO: 160.78 BB (VPIP: 26.53, PFR: 16.33, 3Bet Preflop: 12.50, Hands: 49)
BTN: 88.75 BB (VPIP: 16.95, PFR: 8.47, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 59)

Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 4s 4h
fold, fold, BTN raises to 2.15 BB, Hero calls 1.65 BB, BB calls 1.15 BB

Flop : (6.45 BB, 3 players) 7s 5d 2c
Hero checks, BB checks, BTN checks

Turn : (6.45 BB, 3 players) 5h
Hero checks, BB bets 3.22 BB, BTN calls 3.22 BB, Hero calls 3.22 BB

River : (16.1 BB, 3 players) Ah
Hero checks, BB checks, BTN bets 8.7 BB, Hero raises to 25.45 BB, fold, BTN calls 16.75 BB

Hero shows 4s 4h (Two Pair, Fives and Fours)
(Pre 54%, Flop 76%, Turn 80%)

BTN shows Kc As (Two Pair, Aces and Fives)
(Pre 46%, Flop 24%, Turn 20%)

BTN wins 67 BB

I don’t think his call with this hand speaks to the value of the bluff one way or the other. Ax is the vast majority of his range here, and he needs to call with some of it, and he might as well include AK in his calling range in case I’m ever going for thin value with a worse Ace. So I either ran into the top of his range, or he’s never folding any Ace, which would make the bluff bad – can’t tell from the results.

I do think this is a good bluffing candidate. My range for overcalling the flop is not wide, I suppose I could have 86s though I don’t think I’d call with that pre, so this is both the bottom of my range and blocks 54s which may be relevant.