Setup Poker Hand of the Week
This time we are analyzing one one of the greatest hands in the history of televised poker played in Season 6 of High Stakes Poker between Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan.
We are in Season 6 of the legendary poker TV show High Stakes Poker featuring the likes of Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak and Eli Elezra.
Dwan and Ivey has both been crushing the game so far and Phil has amassed a stack of more than $1,000,000. The Blinds are $500/$1,000 with a $300 ante and both players are super deep with more than 700 big blinds.
Poker Hand of the Week Action
Preflop Action:
Phil Laak opens with A♠9♣ and a UTG raise to 3,900 and gets three callers. The action comes to “durrrr” in the straddle, who looks at 9♠8♠. There are already $17,600 in the middle and Dwan decides to defend his straddle aggressively by going for a big squeeze with the primary goal to win the pot right here.
Two players fold, but Phil Ivey sticks around with A♦6♦ as his hand has nut potential. Pot size: $70,700
Flop:
The flop T♦Q♣K♦ is as good as it gets for Ivey who is now a 87% favorite, while Dwan whiffs. Durrrr would not be durrrr though, if he would just give up and so he fires a big continuation bet of $45,800 into $70,700.
Phil Ivey now has two options he could just call and see a turn in position or he could raise as he is holding the nut flush and straight draw. In general, it is a good idea to play your strong draws aggressively, but the flop hits Dwan’s 3-bet preflop range hard, that’s probably the reason, why Ivey just calls. Pot size: $162,300
Turn:
The 3♠ on the turn is an absolute blank. Tom continues to tell his story of a big hand and fires a large second barrel of $123,200 into $162,300.
Although Phil Ivey is a 91% favorite on the turn, he can’t know that and has a difficult decision now and as Dwan has bet almost 80% pot, he doesn’t get favourable odds to call.
Nevertheless, Ivey makes the call again as he seems to suspect something and believes he can get paid off, when he makes this hand and he therefore thinks he gets the right implied odds in order to do so. Pot size: $408,700
River:
The 6♣ on the river now makes Ivey a pair of sixes, but he misses his combo draw. Tom Dwan loads the gun and fires the third barrel worth a whopping $268,200.
Phil Ivey asks Tom Dwan immediately how much it is and how much he has behind. Tom answers “280” with a slightly shaking voice.
At this point it becomes evident that Phil is really contemplating to call. Ivey goes deep into the tank for more than 2 minutes and thinks it over again and again before he finally folds. You can feel how relieved Tom Dwan is, when he is handed the massive $676,900 pot with 9-high.
Poker Hand of the Week Analysis
This is definitely one of the most dramatic and fascinating hands in the history of televised poker.
Really exciting it gets on the turn, when Tom Dwan fires a massive second barrel with 9-high and Ivey is put to a very diffciult decision as he doesn’t get quite the right odds on a call.
However, Phil Ivey calls and the reason is simply, because he suspects that Dwan might be bluffing and he therefore thinks he can win a massive pot, when he makes his hand on the river.
But that’s exactly the reason, why I don’t like calling twice on the flop and turn with such a strong draw. With a small raise on the flop or turn, Ivey could have gotten the information, if Tom Dwan is bluffing instead of playing a guessing game.
On the river, Ivey makes a pair of sixes. This might seem insignificant at first glance, but in fact it isn’t as Phil Ivey now has a pair and also beats all of the Ace-highs and airballs now.
When Dwan fires his third barrel bluff on the river, Phil Ivey immediately asks how much he has behind. At this point it becomes clear that Ivey is thinking about calling and that he tries to get a read. Tom is answering with a very shaky voice and seems very uncomfortable.
Phil Ivey then goes deep into the tank and says:
“If you would know what I have you wouldn’t believe that I am taking this long. This would be the greatest call of all time.”
Almost every poker fan at this point hopes that Phil Ivey makes the call.
Unfortunately, after almost two and a half minutes, Ivey decides to fold.
Poker Hand of the Week Conclusion
I really like the three barrel bluff by Tom Dwan as it is the only way he can ever win this hand.
On the other hand, Phil Ivey’s play is very questionable for two reasons. First of all, it would have been better to raise the flop with such a strong draw as he would straight away have gotten the information, if Tom Dwan is bluffing or not.
Secondly, if Phil Ivey is calling the flop and the turn and really suspects that Tom Dwan could be bluffing, then he should also call the river, when making a pair and getting pot odds of 3.5 to 1.
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Watch this memorable hand here:
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