Heads up against Raymer WSOP Day 1 report

[SeriousStudent]

I don't know why Raymer thought the check raise was a bluff. I wished I had picked up on whatever he sensed. The player was solid up to that point, had opened UTG+1, but mut have been trying a steal with the J9 suited.

That was the only time in 9 hours of play he made a "that was a bluff" comment.

[SeriousStudent]

Maybe you are thinking of my nemesis in seat 2 – the aqua shirted Asian guy who had the KJ, bluffed with Q3 in the big blind after 4 limpers and then showed it.

I was in seat 1 – dark green shirt.

[SeriousStudent]

There's no way you can hate the J2 play more than I hate it today! It's funny how often in poker that you get what you wish for, but it turns out to be a disaster. When the 89T flop and then the Q turn came, I felt fantastic until the big blind called my huge raise with one player left to act.

Then I knew I was probably beat and that the "gamble it up with crap" play had backfired big time.

[Ilovephysics]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know why Raymer thought the check raise was a bluff. I wished I had picked up on whatever he sensed. The player was solid up to that point, had opened UTG+1, but mut have been trying a steal with the J9 suited.

That was the only time in 9 hours of play he made a "that was a bluff" comment.

[/ QUOTE ]

Great postings, btw... really fun to read. I'll look for you on TV... good luck with day 2 and the rest of the tournament.

On to other stuff... Thinking about that bluff myself...

Seems bluffish, no doubt, but I think you made a decent laydown choice given what you were presented with on national TV, cameras and all... 20/20 and all.

If you were playing solid, you must assume that the villian assumes you had a decent hand to make your preflop call and 1/2 pot bet on the flop (he was, after all, raising 3BB in EP). Villian probably doesn't put you on top set QQ (would you have raised pf?), but 77-JJ, AT-AQs, KQs, JTs are certainly possible holdings... and an outside chance you are slowcalling AA, AK, KK... at least, that is what I'd expect given how you described your play.

As such, villian's check probably was a smart move by someone with a monster hand or set if he knew you'd throw out a 1/2 pot bet (something you were doing regularly?) with many of the above hands. Bluffish part seems to be in the fact that if he really has that monster, calling your flop bet seems to be the best way to extract money since you'd probably lead out again on the turn... unless he is 100% sure you can't get away from even something like the AQ you are representing.. even then, unless he is sitting on QQ or JT, I still don't know if I want to make a little money on pushing all-in like that, or make a lot more money by allowing you to be the aggressor..

Also seems to me that if he thinks you are solid, he could have just as easily re-raised you something substantial... If you call, you probably won't fold for some modest turn bet, or he could check, possibly content on trying for one more bet on the river... If you fold, it is likely he wasn't going to get more money from you anyway.

Edit: also, with all of the cameras, internet players, etc., it could just be that he actually believed his J9, MP with gutshot, was the best hand... after a while at a table (probably a lot longer than many expected, you never know what people will think)

[KdoubleK]

Nice work rattling the 2004 champ. On that 1010 hand though I would've checked that flop or made a bet big enough to commit myself. I had the same situation happen to me no less than 3 times in earlier events and the only way to play it is to either take your free card or suck it up and go with it.