KT

There’s not much similarity to these hands aside from the fact that they both involve playing KT in the Stars $300. This one might seem like kind of a crazy fold:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big Blind is t250 (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

UTG+1 (t6077)
MP1 (t4047)
MP2 (t1260)
MP3 (t9009)
CO (t3574)
Button (t13840)
SB (t3944)
Hero (t14100)
UTG (t3550)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Kc, Th.
4 folds, MP3 raises to t500, 3 folds, Hero calls t250.

Flop: (t1475) 3d, Kh, 6c (2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 checks.

Turn: (t1475) 9d (2 players)
Hero bets t825, MP3 raises to t2000, Hero calls t1175.

River: (t5475) 5s (2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 bets t1750, Hero folds.

Final Pot: t6700

Really though it doesn’t much matter that I have OMGTOPPAIR. His line is either a bluff or a much better hand than KT. I don’t beat anything he’s value betting, and I’m pretty sure that river bet is not a value bet.

This one is more interesting:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big Blind is t300 (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

MP3 (t4815)
CO (t8469)
Button (t11025)
SB (t9384)
BB (t9701)
UTG (t13496)
UTG+1 (t8611)
Hero (t11125)
MP2 (t2737)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Tc, Kc.
2 folds, Hero raises to t800, 3 folds, Button calls t800, 2 folds.

Flop: (t2450) Th, 9c, 3c (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t1200, Hero calls t1200.

Turn: (t4850) 6s (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t1500, Hero calls t1500.

River: (t7200) 3s (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.

Final Pot: t7200

I ended up losing to his pair of Jacks, but that’s not the interesting part. He was kind of fishy, but his pre-flop call is showing a fair bit of strength nonetheless given the stack sizes. This isn’t a board I’m going to be betting at if I have something like AQ. And even if I check and call one bet with a hand like 98, I’m going to be checking and folding almost any turn.

At the same time, because there are a lot of draws out and I think he often has a hand, I’m usually going to lead out when I think I’m good. So I’d really like to supplement my ranges with a hand that can check and call down. Top pair good kicker with a flush draw is pretty much the perfect candidate for this, because I never fold out better hands with a bet, but there are also very few turn cards I fear seeing. Even some of the worst, such as a J or a Q, give me a gutshot to go along with my flush draw.