Poker Players, What Would You Do?
Please answer in the comments.
The blinds are $1K.
My stack is $40K (40 big blinds).
The table chip leader has $60K (60 big blinds).
I get dealt J♠J♣ under the gun. I bet $3K.
The chip leader calls, everyone else folds.
The flop is 3♥Q♥Q♣.
I bet $6K. The chip leader calls.
The turn is 10♥.
I check. The chip leader checks.
The river is J♥, giving me a full house.
I bet $12K, leaving me with $19K (19 big blinds).
The chip leader shoves his remaining $51K (51 big blinds).
What should I do?
About the author
Bob Zeidman is a high-stakes recreational poker player. He created Good Beat Poker, a free online poker site using patented technology for audio and video—see and hear the other players at the table if you choose.
Thanks for the feedback, everyone.
Here's what happened. I called his bet, forcing me all in. He had Q 10 for a bigger full house, and I busted out.
I've been thinking about it. First, why did he call my very large bet pre-flop with Q 10, which is a good hand but not great hand? OK, he had a lot of chips, but he should have known I was starting with a better hand. He got lucky on the flop with three Qs, so I understand why he called my bet after the flop. Then on the turn, he got the nuts, a full house. I think he should have bet because he didn't know if the next card would give me a better hand. Suppose I had KK, and the next card was a K. If he'd bet on the turn, I would have folded. When the river card came, he no longer had the nuts. If I had A♥K♥, 9♥8♥, or QxJx, all of which were in my range, I would have beat him. I think he should have just called my bet. Anyway, it's very hard to fold a full house, especially holding a pair in my hand.
On the other hand, he won and I busted out, so maybe I'm wrong. I could have played more conservatively. I have a general rule that few players bluff shove on the river, so I only call if I have a great hand. And I did have a great hand. And I feel like if I fold a big full house on the river, then players can get me to fold any hand on the river by shoving.
Call!