Very much enjoying this book after just 40 pages. I do have two questions already. Here’s the first one, from the very first hand.

Pokerstars Supernova, early stages, 25/50 blinds. Hero is in SB with 9,625 in stack with JdAc. Villain is MP1 with 8,800 stack. (All other stacks are similar except the CO has 19400 and Utg+1 has 325 but they don’t get involved.

2 folds, MP1 raises to 150, 4 folds, Hero calls, BB folds.
Pot = 350
Flop: JcKd4h
Hero checks, MP1 bets 300, Hero calls.
Pot = 950
Turn: Qc
Hero checks, MP1 bets 500, Hero folds.

My question is about the commentary to follow.

In it, Byron, who played the hand says “it feels like his flop bet (being on the large side) might have been an attempt to push me out of the pot, whereas this turn bet (a more standard size) feels like an attempt to generate value.” This is part of his argument for folding.

But when it’s Chris turn, he explains a reasoning for turning this hand into a bluff. He says, “Although this information [his decrease to half pot turn bet] is not enough on its own to determine weakness, the card is a scary one and great for your range, leading me to believe he would size his sets and straights much larger here, as he expects you to rarely fold and he wants to charge you as much as possible to see the river.” And so on.

So obviously Chris is the man, but what do you guys think about these two views? Particularly about their views on the significance of a near pot flop bet followed by a half pot turn bet on a meaningful turn card? I must admit that I didn’t expect Chris to make that statement.

Interestingly this hand and chris advice left me as curious as you seem now. I forgot about it, but really great that you ask here on the forum.

I thought it is a very unique approach to this difficult to play situation, considering stack sizes it might be good. It is definitly high variance, I guess. But as half of the turn outcomes (K,Q,T,8 and all clubs) puts us in a very akward spot, I believe it may indeed be the optimal play.

If he has a anything better than out pair of 9s: gg ul, if he calls with a draw we have a chance to double, if he takes a stab and folds to our check-shove we gain some nice chips that we clearly need with our shallow stack.

What the pros say, tho?

Edit: If I think about it now, when we open A9 and get this kind of flop and given our low stacksize, I think there is no way we can fold otf, and stacks are to shallow for a multy-street play, so I think this is definitly the best play. Only problem occurs when villain checks back the 50% bad cards will still make it difficult to make the right play OTT.

An other option could be to open rip A9s pre, in a turbo I might be doing this but with almost all my opening range, 55+, A8s+, KTs+, JTs+, KQ, only exception KK, AA and AKs. Any ideas about this approach?