raise your game _ phil ivey cash masterclass

14/01/2012 PKR | Raise Your Game | Phil Ivey cash masterclass

1/6www.pkr.com/en/raise-your-game/ring-game-strategy/ringgame29/

469 ArticlesSearch raise your game

Search Raise Your Game

Raise your game / Ring game strategy / The Ivey league: Phil Ivey cas...

The Ivey league: Phil Ivey cashmasterclass

Phil Ivey is a poker genius and we've got two hands to prove it from the latestseason of the Million Dollar Cash Game

By Rick Dacey on Monday 19 Apr 2010 17:00

Part of the following series: Cash machines, Learn from the pros

9Recommend

Could you bluff Aces off with a three-barrel move holding 5c-Tc?Probably not. But then again you’re not seven-time WSOP braceletwinner Phil Ivey!

In Alex Martin’s recent article ‘Messing about on the river’, he talked about PhilIvey’s incredible river play in season four of the Million Dollar Cash Game. Asone of the best cash game players in the world Ivey is a great role model tolearn from, so let’s take a look at a few of the situations that cropped up in this



big live televised game. The Million Dollar Cash Game has $300/$600 blindswith a running ante of $100 to juice the pot even further.

Hand 1: Ivey vs Antonius

(The action starts at 18m30s)

The game is seven-handed and Ivey limps under the gun with Ah-4d, only forPatrik Antonius to instantly raise it up to $2,700 with his Ks-Th. Neither arepremium hands but Antonius is well aware that Ivey’s range is wide here, and ifhe can get it heads-up he has a hand with pretty good value, as well asposition and the lead in the hand. Behind him he has only Chris Ferguson andAllen Cunningham, both of whom are excellent players but definitely two of thetightest at the table. If any of the looser players come in (Tom Dwan, MikeMatusow and Ivey) he’ll have position on them throughout the hand. The actionfolds to Ivey who makes the call.



The flop: 5d-2h-Ts

Antonius hits a solid flop for his hand and makes the essential continuation betof $5,100 into the $7,700 pot with his top pair, King kicker. Ivey makes the callwith one overcard, a gutshot and the knowledge that Patrik is betting a widevariety of his hands so it is possible his Ace-high is good anyway.

Turn: 7d

Ivey checks again and the Finn stabs another $13,000 into the middle with histop pair. Ivey deliberates and then makes it $33,000 to go. It’s a classicallystrong line: limp-call preflop, check-call on the flop and check-raise on the turn,which would see Antonius muck much of the weaker end of his range.However, with top pair and a great kicker against the aggressive Ivey hedecides to hold on to the river. The additional $20,000 to call makes the pot$83,900.

River: 6d

The 6d is pretty much the ultimate danger card on this board and Ivey movesall-in for just over $100,000. In the simplest terms Ivey is betting because it’sthe only way he can win. With $80,000 in the pot it’s pretty unlikely thatAntonius can’t beat Ace-high! Having played a lot with each other over the lastfew years both live and online Ivey must have a line on how Antonius mostfrequently plays turned draws in this kind of situation. When Ivey check-raisesthe turn and Antonius slowly calls, as opposed to jamming the pot, it gives theseven-time WSOP bracelet winner a lot of information and an opening for amajor river bluff. This is particularly true if a draw arrives, as Antonius knowIvey is definitely in the play-draws-fast camp. It’s a great move and althoughAntonius suspects that the all-in might be a bluff it’s too narrow a part of Ivey’shand range for him to call $101,700 (giving him 2-to-1 on the pot).

Hand 2: Ivey vs Cunningham

(The action starts at 8m50s)



�

Allen Cunningham is a great player but he’s not having a great session. He’smucked winning hands and called when dominated, but still retains thecomposure to play as he thinks fit. He raises to $2,000 with Aces and MikeMatusow calls from the small blind with Ks-Ts, pricing Ivey in with 5c-Tc in thebig blind.

The flop: 9d-9c-6d

Matusow checks and Ivey leads out for $4,500. Cunningham calls, knowingthat Ivey knows he has a tight raising range and deciding to trap for value bysuggesting he may have a hand he can be taken off.

Turn: 4d

The turn completes the diamond draw and Ivey fires another $12,000.Cunningham (without the Ace of diamonds) calls again, now starting to worryabout the possibilities of the paired board and the flush.

River: 6s



Share

It’s these worries that Ivey seizes on with one final $30,000 bet, showing thathe’s not afraid of what Cunningham is holding. Ivey knows he can’t win bychecking and knows that Cunningham’s calling range has to be tight. Even withan overpair it’s incredibly tough to call. If Ivey was betting anything from theflop it would be the Nine, the Six or the flush draw – all of which have hispocket Aces beaten. Cunningham mucks the winning hand.

9Recommend

Comments

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment. Register

0 commentShare

Related links



1. The basics of reading a poker hand2. VIDEO: Extracting value with weak hands3. Two streets of value4. Aces rock5. How to misplay aces... twice!6. Action stations!

1. Control Commission2. Eighteen plus3. Gamecare certification4. Gambling Therapy5. ICRA6. Gaming Associates7. Gambleaware

Please gamble responsibly. For more information and advice visitwww.gambleaware.co.uk

Licensed by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission and the UKGambling Commission

raise your game _ phil ivey cash masterclass

Documents