The $200,000 buy-in Triton Super High Roller Series $200,000 Cali Cup in Manila, which took place in January 2016, witnessed some intense showdowns. The final table was a star-studded affair featuring the likes of Dan Colman, Phil Ivey, Steve O’Dwyer, David Peters, Mike “Timex” McDonald, Devan Teng, and Phil Phua. We saw several big hands unfolding at the final table.
One significant hand that unfolded during the stacked final table involved players Fedor Holz and Steve O’Dwyer, where Holz emerged victorious after O’Dwyer opted to fold to a half-pot bet on the river. The hand in question saw Holz raise to 125,000 from under the gun and O’Dwyer called to see the J♦ 8♦ 6♣ flop. Holz continued for 210,000 and O’Dwyer called.
The turn was the 9♦, a card that could complete a flush or a straight. Holz continued to assert his aggression, betting 385,000, just over half the pot, which O’Dwyer called. As the river brought the A♥, Holz further committed almost 40% of his remaining stack with a bet of 720,000. Despite having already invested 720,000, O’Dwyer went into deep tank before ultimately folding.
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Hand Analysis
Preflop:
· Holz raises to 125,000 from under the gun.
· O’Dwyer calls on the button.
Analysis:
Holz’s raise from under the gun suggests a strong starting hand range, likely consisting of high pairs, strong broadway cards (A-K, A-Q, K-Q), and possibly some suited connectors.
O’Dwyer’s call on the button is standard with a wide range of hands given his position advantage. He could have anything from small pairs to suited connectors, suited aces, or even strong hands like big pairs or suited broadway cards.
Flop (J♦8♦6♣):
· Holz bets 210,000.
· O’Dwyer calls.
Analysis
Holz’s continuation bet on the flop is standard. The flop contains coordinated cards, and betting allows him to both extract value from hands like overcards, middle pairs, and draws, as well as to deny equity to hands with weaker holdings.
O’Dwyer’s call indicates that he likely has some piece of the board, such as a pair, a draw, or potentially even a strong hand like two pair or a set.
Turn (9♦):
· Holz bets 385,000.
· O’Dwyer calls.
Analysis:
Holz’s bet on the turn continues the aggression from the flop, representing strength. The turn card completes some straight and flush draws, so Holz’s bet could be a value bet with a made hand or a semi-bluff with a strong draw.
O’Dwyer’s call suggests that he still has a hand worth continuing with, whether it’s a made hand like top pair, a strong draw, or possibly even a set or two pair.
River (A♥):
· Holz bets 720,000.
· O’Dwyer folds.
Analysis:
Holz’s bet on the river represents strength. The river card doesn’t change the board significantly, but Holz’s bet size puts O’Dwyer in a tough decision for a huge portion of his stack.
O’Dwyer’s fold indicates that he believes Holz’s range includes many strong hands that beat his, and he doesn’t have the odds to call with his likely weaker holdings.
Alternate Action:
Holz’s river bet sizing effectively polarizes his range, putting O’Dwyer in a difficult spot with both strong made hands and potential bluffs. An alternate action for O’Dwyer could be to call with stronger hands like sets or two pairs, but folding is reasonable given the bet size and the perceived strength of Holz’s range.
