Calling an All In with a Strong Drawing Hand?

[CJ Mars]

Interested in anyone’s views on this hand I played yesterday. It’s a table of 6. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Its raised 8$ in early position by a guy that I see a lot at the 1$ : 2$ tables. He’s a guy that will raise with small pairs and play them to the river hoping to catch trips. One of the worst players I’ve seen. To give a flavour of what he is like he’s gone all in on the flop about two hands previously holding QJ with an Ace on the board to catch a runner runner straight with a King and ten on the river :\ . Probably thought it was good play. He is holding about 90$. I’m holding 240$ in late position.

Everyone folds to me. I’m holding KJc. This guy could have anything. It could be AA but just as easily be 22 or Ax. I call. The flop comes

10c9c8h.

I’m drawing to an open ended straight and a flush neither of which will be the nuts admittedly but I’ve got a pretty good hand. I check. He goes all in with his 70+ chips. He could have flopped trips I think or is maybe holding AQc. Maybe even QJ and has made his straight already. I figure that without discounting my outs I have

9 outs to the flush 6 outs to the straight 6 outs to an overcard(unlikely with most but possible with this joker)

I call it.

Two small rags fall. He turns his cards. He’s called all in with an A8 offsuit :eek and won with a pair of eights. Thinks he is brilliant as well which is extra galling.

I think I’d a good drawing hand but again not sure whether I’d played it well in making the decision to call. Against most players I would have folded this. I was probably influenced by an earlier hand I played last week in a very similar situation when I called and won an all in on the flop with a straight and flush draw (the latter the nuts) and won with the flush. I was holding a paired ace with what would have been a tied kicker in that case admittedly.

[GETT1NLOTS]

Re: Calling an All In with a Strong Drawing Hand? Hi CJ, I would have called the $8 and the $70 just as you did. Here are the reasons why. a) Firstly you have read the guy correctly. He has already gone in on drawing hands before now so the power of his $70 bet is not to be respected. b) You're in last position and no one else has called. You hold a decent couple of cards in a heads up against a loose player with less chips than you. c) He has over bet the pot. Weak players often do this in a vain attempt to fein strength. Of course strong players can do this to ward off weak players from drawing a lucky card but we have already established this guy wasn't a good player right? d) You have so many outs. In order for you to be scared about him hitting a bigger flush he has to hold the Ac which is probable. But to be really scared he has to be holding the Ac with another club which is very unlikely. He will need two clubs to come on the turn and river respectively and this is unlikely. So whilst you are not nut flushing - you have the second best flush and the likely winner if one more club lands. e) He's all in. With so many outs you have to call in my opinion. He can't hurt you more than the $70 he is in and your bank will take it. If he had another $300 left in front of him I would worry as I might be betting my whole stack against this guy who is liable to call or raise with anything. That might make me hesitate a little. But this wasn't the case here so once again I would have called. I dont know what the maths are given this situation (Jez might help you there) but given the circumstances as you described them I would have played the hand the same way.