WPT Hand

I just saw a goofy hand from last week's episode of the World Poker Tour. The event was the $10k Legends of Poker. Fast forward to the 5:52 mark to watch this hand.




Todd Terry limped from the small blind with 86 offsuit, and chip leader Kevin Schaffel made a very tricky check of pocket kings from the big blind. The flop came T63 with two spades. Terry checked, Schaffel bet 70k into a 105k pot, and Terry called. The turn came the Tc. Terry checked, Schaffel bet 150k, and Terry called. The river was the 6d. Terry checked, Schaffel bet 200k, and Terry very reluctantly called.

Mike Sexton made a big stink about Terry's hesitance to call, even referring to it as a "slowroll." Schaffel also seemed disgusted, in part because he lost a large pot with pocket kings, but also because he may have felt he was slowrolled to some degree as well.

If I had been in Terry's seat, I may well have folded on the river. The way the hand was played, it made little sense for Schaffel to have anything but a ten. His bet-sizing and barrelling were completely indicative of a ten. The way Terry played it, it was highly likely that he had a six. When Schaffel bet 200k on the river, Terry felt sick because he knew it looked like he had just made a full house sixes over tens, and Schaffel was still betting.

I am completely shocked that Schaffel, a professional player who was part of the November Nine this year, bet the river. I love to see a nice thin value bet, but this bet was merely a donation. It made absolutely no sense. I don't know what he could have thought Terry would call him with. A pair of sevens?. Ace-three? It made no sense for Terry to have anything but a six or a hand with no showdown value, with the unlikely exception of an ace high flush draw.

That was one of the worst value bets I've seen in a while. I sided much more with Terry's pain on the river than Schaffel's.

The other thing about this hand is I would have usually folded the turn in Terry's seat, because it is so rare to see a double barrel bluff when the top card on the board pairs. In fact, many players would check back the turn with what Schaffel actually had.

It is interesting because at low levels, Schaffel's turn bet could mean a lot of hands. At intermediate to high levels, Schaffel's turn bet usually means a ten. And at the highest level, Schaffel's turn bet could again mean a lot of hands.

Terry is drawing dead if Schaffel has a ten, and not too far in front if he has a draw. I am not real familiar with Schaffel's game, but generally speaking I don't think a call is profitable in that situation when it is pro vs pro.