In this series of Mega Hands we're looking at how hands may be played differently from normal based upon a player's judgement of various metagame factors.
In this first hand we have an interesting tangle between London businessman Sammy George and Danish pro Albert Iversen. The European Cash Game (commentated by Raise Your Game contributor Nick Wealthall) is playing 25/50 Euro but has a chunky three live straddles in play with the final 400 Euro straddle placed by George. The action folds to Iversen on the button who raises to 1,150 with Ad-4h looking for one of two eventualities. Either he scoops the 775 pot without any contest (ideal) or plays an inflated pot in position against George, one of the softer players at the table who prides himself on playing 'any two' cards and has already put 400 into the pot. As it turns out George actually has a decent hand with Qd-Jd and calls the 750 extra. The pot now stands at 2,675 and George insta-shoves the As-9d-Td flop for 9,200 with a straight flush draw.
This puts Iversen, who has final-tabled both WSOP and EPT events, in a very difficult spot. Would you want to call off Euro 9,000 over three times the current pot with top pair and a very weak kicker? Iversen is forced to think long and hard. He knows that Sammy is super-loose and capable of all kinds of moves, but even so his hand is not ultra-strong. But why would George shove all-in for such a huge overbet if he has flopped a monster? It's the kind of bet that screams, 'I've got a draw and don't want to have to make any further decisions'.
Iversen eventually makes the call, backed by the thinking that George wouldn't make the play with an Ace, and if he has pushed with a draw an Ace has got to be ahead. If George has got a straight or flush draw Iversen is 67% to win (he holds the Ad which reduces the flush outs). Either way he's very good to get his money in. Weighing up that eventuality with what he knows of the loose player he makes the call and is actually a coinflip against the straight flush draw. His hand holds and he bravely scoops the 21,075 Euro pot.
See also: Phil Laak vs Tom Dwan...
See also: Cristian Dragomir vs Phil Hellmuth…