would you have called him?

[BeanGW 0]

Ok FCP'er's. Would you have called him with your Pocket K's? I have my own theory, but I'll wait to hear yours before I post my thoughts.If he's got it, what about his play makes you think he has it? I've cited the portion of his blog where he discusses this play.*****************************************************************I struck first blood in a big pot that went down like this: I raised to $3000 with 5-6 suited from the button and my opponent (John Doe from here on in) called.The flop came down 9c 7s 4c and John Doe checked. I bet the pot, $6000. John Doe quickly check-raised the pot making it a total of $24,000. I called.The turn brought the Qs and John Doe fired away, betting $54,000. Notice I haven't told you which suit my 5-6 was? I'll get to that.After thinking about it for a while I decided to call the bet. The river came the 10c and John Doe quickly checked. I knew he had to have something strong, but that he also hated that card. I bet $150,000 and after thinking for quite some time, John Doe finally folded.All I can tell you is that I either had:A) 5-6 of diamonds, orB) 5-6 of clubsI can't reveal any more than that. He claims to have slow played two kings, which begs the question- would YOU have called me?

[greatwhite 0]

You made your flush.

[sam_abc777 0]

I would have called. Here is why: On the turn, Daniel called a pot sized bet. I dont think Daniel would call with a flush draw. The pot odds just arent there. Even if he had 8-6 clubs or 6-5 clubs, the pot odds still arent there. For that reason, I dont think Daniel has the flush. U could argue that the implied odds justify a call but I still have my doubts. As for part 1 of the question, 6-5d or 6-5c? I say 6-5d because with 6-5c, he would have reraised on the flop. 6-5c is a favorite over any hand except a set. So I would have come over the top on the flop. I could b wrong but thats what I think.

[rleary 0]

I would not have called. Based upon the betting, I would have to fold or raise. If this hand was the first hand played or within the first ten hands, I must assume Daniel does not know how I play and he's has got to think I have the nut flush if I check raise.Daniel, would you have called a check raise on the river? For what its worth, I think you played the hand great.

[MichaelShakes 0]

I have never played Dan of course, but I would like to. I will raise you $500,000.Your Turn.

[Farnan 0]

I don't think the guy had KK, to tell you the truth. I think he was betting on the flush draw and missed. (maybe having a piece of the flop--A-7 Clubs or something like that which would explain the check-raise)If the guy had a hand like KK and worried about a flush, he should have placed a small to midsized bet to see whether he would get raised. IMO, checking just gives up the pot--especially against someone aggressive like Daniel.Then again, if he did have KK, no way i'd call. With all of the calls, you'd think he was playing a flush draw (or better yet flush and straight draw considering the pot odds). But my question is how did he bet 54k on the turn into a 24k pot since it was pot limit?

[DanielNegreanu 141]

The guy definitely had KK. Once I see how the poll goes I'll let you all know who made the right decision!

[109suited 0]

Honestly, I think the kings were good. Maybe I'm wrong, but a lot of people would play DN's hand a lot faster on that flop if he did indeed have the 56c. He's a favorite against almost any single pair hand on that flop.

[Real Deal 0]

I would have just called. First because I think DN was beat. Second because it was early in the game and I would want to see your cards and how aggressive you were playing. Just my 2 cents. GL in the rest of the match.

[pokerloser 0]

Call

[Hawk21 0]

Daniel had the 56 of diamonds. If they were clubs its an easy call on the turn. Notice how Daniel says "afterthinking for a while". Then on the river the guy checked quickly. Daniel sensed weakness after missing his straight, so he bet strong representing the flush or a higher straight.

[murmar 0]

How big was the pot when Daniel bet 150? If he reads John as 'hating that card' and he has the flush, he wants the call. It's obviously overly simplistic, but that just seems like too much if he's holding clubs. My vote is diamonds.

[yeffy 0]

I don't think I would have checked the river card in the first place. Sure it's a total scare card, but once you check you are begging to be outplayed. Unless I had a read on my opponent and felt very strongly that he had the flush I fire out $100,000 on the river. This bet looks enough like I want action but not so small that it looks too scared. Playing heads up it's tough to just give up the Kings here with a check fold on the river. If my opponent then wants to raise he either A) has the nuts or close to it or B) has enough balls to put what would likely need to be another $200,000 or more in on the river to make a bluff well then so be it. I just hate check folding a $160,000 pot here.

[Holden 0]

I wouldn't have called. I wouldn't have even checked after the river card I would have folded without letting you bet assuming you were drawing on the flush and pissed that you caught it.

[yeffy 0]

I wouldn't have called. I wouldn't have even checked after the river card I would have folded without letting you bet assuming you were drawing on the flush and censored that you caught it.

JFarrell is that you? The master of the open fold?

[Eclypse 0]

Daniel had 5-6 of DiamondsCALL!

[Pearl 0]

i would have called.if i remember corrrectly, Danny made a similar play vs Freddy Deeb in the Plaza tournament last year with (Ah 7d?) on Ks 6h 2h board (last heart hitting the river) and Deeb had As Kd i think. Main difference is that Dan made a small bet into the big pot (30% of pot) that time since Deeb is more likely to fold to a small bet - here he made a real bet (if he has described what type of player Jon Doe was, it'd be easier to pin down what Dan had) but i think Dan bluffed. A friend of mine often says 'live by the sword, die by the sword'. I call.side note: i didn't calculate the pot odds but someone above mentioned that Dan does not have the pot odds to call. i remember reading from many of Dan's blogs that he is willing to take slightly negative EV bets some time vs a very strong player (such as ivey)- so if its true that he didn't have the odds and Jon Doe is not the phil ivey, i can only surmise that the whole play was a set up bluff.

[PFunk 0]

I don't think the guy had KK, to tell you the truth.

[FishtankHank 0]

How big was the pot when Daniel bet 150?  If he reads John as 'hating that card' and he has the flush, he wants the call.  It's obviously overly simplistic, but that just seems like too much if he's holding clubs.  My vote is diamonds.

I would say he had the flush, because although logically he would want a call in that situation it was early in heads up play so therefore he might of wanted to hide his hand. I believe he probably wanted to keep his opponent guessing what he had. So in that situation I would fold with the kings. There were a lot of draws there and I wouldn't be all that shocked to see him calling these bets with a good draw such as the staight flush draw.

[BeanGW 0]

Wow... When I posted this on Wednesday in response to Daniel's blog, I really didn't expect much of a response, but I gotta say many thanks to Mr. DN himself for responding, and I look forward to hearing his thinking about the play.Here's my thinking:Personally, I don't think DN had the flush. If he did, it would have been an easy call on the turn. DN wouldn't have to even think about it... he may pause to think about it for show, but it would be an easy call.After the flop check-raise, DN probably put Mr. Doe on TPTK or better and was considering the implied odds if he happened to make his straight + the bluff odds if a club hit the river. He probably knew before the river card that he was going to bet a club if checked to. To me, the combination of both the implied odds and the fold equity is what prompted his turn call. In those terms I think laying down the kings was the incorrect play. I would have either bet them for value on the river (and folded to a big raise), or, more likely (in a Pot Limit game) I would have checked to induce the bluff and then called. Check/folding Kings heads-up just seems like a weak play. But I am no expert on heads-up play by any means. Those are just my thoughts.

[Abbaddabba 0]

I don't think I would have checked the river card in the first place. Sure it's a total scare card, but once you check you are begging to be outplayed. Unless I had a read on my opponent and felt very strongly that he had the flush I fire out $100,000 on the river. This bet looks enough like I want action but not so small that it looks too scared.

If you think checking the river will induce a bluff more often than not, why not check the river with a strong hand? A failed draw might bet, but not call. A made draw will raise. It doesnt seem too likely that daniel would bet large with a made hand that is top pair or less, because strong made hands (which was being represeted by the villain) would call, and all the missed draws he already has beat.If he had top pair beat, he would have played it far more aggressively earlier in the hand - unless he picked up some wonky second pair with the 10, which doesnt seem too likely.Check/call with the kings.Does he have the flush? Well, the pot sized bet on the river only requires that he has it less than 67% of the time in order to make it a correct call.

[Wlleiotl 0]

i cant imagine daniel makes a full pot bet there with the made flush, it gives the guy far too much of a chance to get away from it, i think hes more likely to get a bit of value and bet $50-75k if he has a flush, (he can bet the full pot with a straight, it looks more like a bluff because the obvious draw didnt get in) and so didnt have it this time.i also believe he doesnt have to "think about it a while" when hes got a straight flush draw on the turn, its a auto call. deciding to call and betting $150k on a club as a bluff or $150k if he makes his straight takes a little longer and i think this the play daniel made.

[Randy Reed 0]

Ok, so John Doe smooth called the small raise to open with K's. He check raises with a pot sized bet on the flop and I'm sure at this point he has to be somewhat confused by what Daniel would have called with, the board is 9 7 4 , so he has to figure DN is on a straight or flush draw of some sort, the Q comes on the turn and John Doe fires off a pot sized bet thinking he's going to make him pay to draw out and has to be more confused with the call now, QQ? a set? DN hasn't raised but could he be smooth calling? The guy has to still have him on the straight or flush draw and bam, T hits and he has to fear the worst, so he checks, invites Daniel to bet $150K and given it's early folds so he's not wiped out before it gets started, he has to figure DN made his hand and folded, which was wrong, cause DN had 56 Nice bluff DN, and I bet you were confident he wouldn't call as well.

[closetwin 0]

Well, I'm pretty sure Daniel made a flush.He had odds to call. An open ender and a flush draw on the flop makes for 15 outs to beat one pair through trips.That's plenty to go on. Without the flush draw, it's kind of a weak play on the turn after the check-raise he faced on the flop. With the huge amount of outs, it allows for a call on the turn to hit the blessed club on the end.Definitely not calling.CTEDIT: Of course, Daniel probably realised that his offsuit 56 would still have the flush draw outs to win, based on a bluff. Since he's the pro, I'm pretty sure when he sets up a bluff he is capable of saying "I have the 56 of clubs, and when the flush hits, I have the best hand".So, in conclusion, I don't know. I can only agree with the other point that the value bet on the end was too large to be a REAL value bet. HOWEVER, he was check-raised, John Doe was playing it aggressively...so maybe DN thought he could make a bluff-sized bet to get called with the flush.I just can't decide...

[WorkYou 0]

ok well on this hand this is what i think.u rasied with 56 on button. he called with KK. (stupid play)then flop came and gave u straight draw. u bet and he reraises. u call.turn he bets. u call.river he checks when the spade comes and the board is bad. u bet. he folds.pot on river = 150k around. u bet 150k. very big river bet! makes me think u had diamonds and bluffed ur flush, staight, set, twopair.if i was him. which im not. i would never play kings so poorly. i would call just to hope my mistake paid off . yep after reading what u wrote i believe u bluffed ur river bet. nice bluff .why would u be betting the river so big unless u missed ur flush/straight.This guy with KK played his hand so horrible.im guessing meybe everyone folded or meybe 1 person limped in so u raised ur 56diamonds on the button. then kk was in the blind and just called thinking noone else would join the hand. then checked to u and u bet and got reraised. saw u had straight draw and decided to call. then turn he bet his kings again and u called even tho u didnt have very good odds thinking u might be able to make a play at the pot if a card comes that u can bluff with or u could even hit ur straight. then u missed and he checked. u saw weakness and ur opportinuty to bluff and u bet out a huge pot size bet. and he had to fold his kk. no way someone can make that call unless they know u got 56.My Answer to poll : Yes! definently. He was bluffing his missed straight draw. KK should have reraised prelfop. stupid stupid play. he wouldnt have gotten him self in such a bad situtation. also kk should have called on the river. i dont know why he didn't. he played the hand slow hoping to win a big pot and traping a shitty hand like 56 and he had no balls in the end and decided to fold. if ur gonna play a hand stupid and hope to get lucky then atleast make the call and hope u actually did get lucky.