Hand Analysis: Facing a Triple-Barrel With Top Pair, Bad Kicker
Today I have another hand to share from the $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Open Championship I played a couple of months ago. This one ends with a tricky river decision where I have to decide what to do with a marginal made hand after facing a third barrel from the preflop raiser.
It was the 200/300 level (with a 300 big blind ante), and action began with a tight-aggressive player opening for 700 from under the gun. It folded to me on the button where I'd been dealt A?7? and I called. The big blind called as well. Effective stacks were deep, with my 108 BB stack (to start the hand) the shortest among the three of us.
The flop came A?5?4?, the big blind checked, and the UTG player continued for 1,400 into the 2,600 pot.
As I explain below, this is a situation where I'm glad to call and see what develops. I did, the big blind folded, then after the Q? fell on the turn my opponent bet 2,400 (close to 45% pot).
While my made hand �� aces with a weak kicker �� is only marginal, it is still best some of the time. Plus I've picked up the nut-flush draw, which gave me more incentive to call once more, making the pot 10,200.
The river then brought the 9? and a bet of 4,000 from my opponent. This third bet definitely seems to indicate strength, and probably a good ace (i.e., better than mine). Should I fold? Or call? Or raise?
See what I decided to do below, and listen to how I evaluate the situation and available options.
Jonathan Little is a professional poker player and author with over $7,000,000 in live tournament earnings. He writes a weekly educational blog and hosts a podcast at JonathanLittlePoker.com. Sign up to learn poker from Jonathan for free at PokerCoaching.com. You can follow him on Twitter @JonathanLittle.
