Overview
This hand comes from one of the top, most innovative poker vloggers in the industry, Jaman Burton, playing in a live cash game at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada! In this live cash game hand, Jaman flops the top pair in a multi-way spot, and after going for value, he gets put in a rough spot. Check this hand out for in-depth live cash game strategy!
The Game: $2/$5 Live No-Limit Hold’em Cash Game
Where: The Bellagio
Stack Size: $500
Editor’s note: This video comes from Jonathan Little’s YouTube Channel. If you would like to stay up to date with more video content such as this, including hand breakdowns from Negreanu vs Polk, Tom Dwan, Brad Owen and more, click here.
This hand begins with Jaman Burton getting dealt Jack-Ten suited in the Cutoff with about 100 big blinds behind. He raises (as he should with his entire opening range) to $15, and the player on the button, small blind, and the big blind call.
Playing the Flop
The Pot: $60
The Flop: T♥-2♠-5♥
Effective Stack: $485
Flop Analysis
When you see 4-way action on the flop, you typically want to be betting a little bit less frequently than you normally would in a heads-up pot. This is because it’s more likely that someone has something with equity that will be continuing very often. With that said, a nice small-stakes cash game exploit is to continuation bet ‘too’ often. When people don’t check-raise often enough, it allows you to bet more often. So, on this board going for value with lots of top-pair type hands is great, as is betting with hands that can turn reasonable equity, like QJ or KJ.
Jaman goes with the $35 bet, which is great, and only the player on the button calls.
Playing the Turn
The Pot: $120
The Turn: (T♥-2♠-5♥) –3♥
Effective Stack: $450
Turn Analysis
The turn brings the (T♥-2♠-5♥) –3♥, bringing in a ton of the possible draws.
After you bet the flop and the opponent continues, they have to have some sort of made hand or draw. On the 3h, a lot of the draws come in, making your jack-ten a marginal-made hand. It’s not a premium hand that wants to play for all of the money, so checking in spots like this is great. If your player is extremely straightforward, going for a small turn bet for value and protection is reasonable as well, but the standard play here is certainly to check.
Jaman checks and the player on the button check back, taking us to the river.
Playing the River
The Pot: $120
The Turn: (T♥-2♠-5♥–3♥ ) – 2♦
Effective Stack: $450
River Analysis
The river brings the (T♥-2♠-5♥–3♥ ) – 2♦ giving Jaman 2 reasonable options with his top pair, marginal kicker. In spots like this, you can either check (looking to induce a bluff and check-call a bet) or you can go for a thin value bet, looking to fold to a raise.
When you go for a bet, you typically want to bet small so that hands like 77, T9,T8, A5 will call, so betting something like $40-$50 seems ideal.
Jaman bets $75 and immediately gets raised to $150. Although he’s getting great pot odds here, especially in small stakes live games, people just do not bluff enough. Jaman makes the fold and the player on the button drags the pot.
Results
Jaman Gets Shown a Flush After Folding Top Pair
In this hand, Jaman bets the river and faces a raise. He ends up folding, and his opponent shows him the A♥ -4♥ for a flush, giving him confirmation of a good fold and another data point that in small-stakes live cash games, people simply do not raise the river very often as a bluff. Make sure to adjust to your Texas Hold’em games and look to make big folds in these spots!
