Two Interesting Final Table Spots

Hand #1

I had 89o. I never really know how to navigate these spots, where I flop a ton of equity and then someone leads for overbet size. Do I just continue with overpair/2pair+ and otherwise sigh and let it go? What’s the theory here?

What types of hands do y’all think Villain might be using this size with?

Hand #2

This is more of a “know your enemy” question: bluerunner is definitely a thinking player and a very strong opponent. What do we imagine led him to call my jam here?

I ask because I am literally never calling with his hand in that spot. Not trying to call him out as making a bad play; just trying to figure out what’s going on.

Any theories? Is this a thing with K9o at this stack depth?

(FWIW money bubble burst @ 5 players remaining.)

Myself when I first started playing 67 years ago, I would bet K9, A2 all the time, now I favor KJ, AA, Ak. You have to realize Replay is free so you can experiment and play almost any combination. It always amazes me when players bet big or go all-in and how long some of them stay in the game before being busted. I actually prefer to play those types now. My job now is studying Younguru style. LOL

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In Hand 1, unless you have player knowledge that says otherwise, because villain is overbetting pot first to act out of position then I am giving them credit for top pair, middle pair, better kicker then yours, top pair, crap kicker+ draw, mid pair + draw, 2 pair, combo draw, lots, more outs then you.

If villain is in mid position, then it’s about 50/50 call fold, as Villain might be able to have a bluff. In late position it’s about 67% to 70% to 73%/27% to 30% to 33% call, shove, fold. The later the position the more possible that can be facing a bluff. Altho early position can bluff, it’s a lot less likely, because early position doesn’t know how strong or weak anybody, everybody is, and if they will call bluff. Also overbetting pot as a bluff out of position first to act vs 3 other players seems bad, thus probably less likely that it’s a bluff. Now if it was just you and villain, and if you were a nit, then villain might semi probably bluff you first to act. So because Villain likely had you beat, then have to consider pot odds, implied odds. And you were getting good enough pot odds, implied odds, good enough fold equity, etc, to chase call, 3 bet shove. So because of that, it’s a clear fold sans player knowledge, and a solver semi might semi probably say the same.

In Hand 2: Your right, Blue Runner is usually a pretty good player, so don’t know why he called exactly. Maybe you had bluffed him in a similar spot. Maybe he called because he knows you can sometimes 3 bet wide at times. Maybe he figured you had 22 to 88. I know a lot of players call with K9, Q9, A9, because they think player have 22 to 88, and dont consider that a player might have QJ suited, KQ suited, k9 suited, A9 suited, AT+, 99+, as a range, that CRUSHES Q9s, K9s, A9s, as a range. Maybe he was tilted. Maybe he wasn’t winning, so he called, trying to butluck a win.

Das Made a call like that against me that bad beated me out, in the RPOS TOC. Das said he did that on purpose to try to butluck me since I talked crap back at him in response to him talking crap to me, others. He also said a solver said the K8 call was good, but I don’t believe that, and I don’t think a solver would approve of the K9 call. Sans things like the things I mentioned above, I don’t know why he called. It cant be a good call. And usually he doesn’t make bad calls, so it’s a head scratcher to me. But at least you got in good, and just got unlucky, and that’s all you can do. And trying to figure out why players make what seem to be bad, crazy calls, can drive a person crazy, lol.

I’d guess he was thinking you might call a lot of your very best hands (AA, KK, AK) hoping to induce something from the big blind. The K is live in that case, and the 9 might be too if this a mid-low pocket pair.
I can’t find a situation where the solver makes that call, but it’s actually pretty close. Looks like KTo is break even, KJo would be a pure call - K9o is just one pip too low.

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