In the recent running of the Durrrr Challenge, Tom Dwan raised to $800 pre-flop with 8s-10c-Js-6d and Patrik Antonius pushed the action to $2,400 with 7c-Jh-Kc-Qh. Dwan wasn’t content to call, however, and instead raised to $7,200. Antonius bumped it to $21,600 and Dwan finally called. The flop came 6-2-6 rainbow. Antonius moved all-in for $38,000 with air and Dwan came along after flopping a set. An eight on the turn improved the youngster to a boat, good enough to scoop the pot.
DurrrrChallenge.com sat down with PokerXFactor.com instructor Chris “Fox” Wallace to get his take on the hand.
DurrrrChallenge.com: Antonius moved all-in on the flop with nothing. What was he thinking?
Chris Wallace: Antonius misplayed this hand, but his thought process was that it’s a big pot and there was a lot of raising and re-raising pre-flop, so Durrrr might just have big cards. Really, Antonius is on a stone cold bluff. If Durrrr has a hand like A-Q-J-9, then he’s probably going to fold unless he has a backdoor flush draw. Antonius has his opponent on a high range, which is a significant mistake to make against a player like Dwan.
DurrrrChallenge.com: Did Antonius just forget how Dwan plays? Was there too much time in between Durrrr Challenge sessions?
Chris Wallace: Durrrr sometimes folds. We’re seeing hands that become huge pots and we don’t see him folding on the flop. I think these guys are going so far pre-flop with some of these hands that the game becomes tough to play. You can almost beat these guys by playing tight pre-flop. Neither has a big hand here. They are playable pre-flop hands, but they’re not hands you should 5bet with. You have to 3bet or 4bet once in a while with a mediocre hand so your range doesn’t get readable, but this is going too far.
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In another hand, the flop came 3-2-7 with two hearts. Dwan held As-7d-9d-Ad and checked, while Antonius had Ks-Qs-6h-Kh and bet $14,000. Dwan made it $63,600 and Antonius moved all-in for an extra $22,000. Both players held premium pairs in their starting hands, but Antonius spiked a king on the turn to scoop the pot. We asked Wallace whether pushing all-in with kings or aces on the benign-looking flop is a must in Omaha.
Chris Wallace: You’d have to have a crazy read on someone to fold on the flop. With the two hearts out there, there’s no way to get away from it. If you fold here, you can’t raise pre-flop with your aces or kings because you’ve allowed the other player to run you over. Against either of these guys, it’s the same thing. Antonius’ kings have a heart draw on the flop too. When Durrrr checks the flop, Antonius has to bet. You have to protect your hand and you have a flush draw. The aces are favored 65% of the time on that flop.
