Poker Superstars: Phil Ivey Flush Hand vs Johnny Chan

[DonkeyKong]

Stacks:
Ivey 197500
Cloutier 174000
Chan 100000

Blinds 3000/6000

Cloutier 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif5/images/graemlins/spade.gif raises to 14000
J Chan 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif8/images/graemlins/spade.gif calls 14000
P Ivey Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gifJ/images/graemlins/diamond.gif calls 14000

Pot Size: 49000
Flop: 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif6/images/graemlins/diamond.gifK/images/graemlins/heart.gif

Ivey Checks
Cloutier Checks
Chan bets 21000
Ivey Raises to 60000
Chan raises all-in ~65000 total (39k+26k)
Ivey Calls for ~26000 more

Turn: 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif
River: 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif

Ivey Wins. Chan eliminated.

What do we think of Iveys check-raise here??

[CrisBrown]

Hi D.K.,

I think it's fine. Ivy wants to see all five cards to give himself the best chance of making his draws. With the pre-flop money, and after Chan's pot-committing bet, Ivey is risking 68K to win 138K, with what is likely to be 10.5 outs (including his backdoor straight outs). That makes him a 3:2 dog (roughly), getting 2:1 from the pot, with a guarantee of seeing all five board cards. It's a good play.

Cris

[Stormwolf]

Actually I believe Chan bet small enough on the flop to show he was not totally pot commited to invite a bluff/semibluff, if he bets bigger he only collects from a King or a Draw, but smaller bets may get an ocassional stone cold from an agressive player

[DonkeyKong]

I agree, Chan bet 21k into a 49k pot... 43% of the pot.

Gregorich, the commentator, said he didn't like Chan's pre-flop call with 88. He could have raised a fair bit and possibly avoided Ivey, although Ivey might have come anyway. Either way, it looked like it would work out for Chan when the flop came with an 8... but alas, no.