Here’s a hand that sticks with me…..

Background…. coming back from a break, I talk for five minutes with a nice Danish guy from my table who convinces me that his primary concern is climbing up in the money (at this point there are about 140 players left and the money jumps are significant).

An hour later, he raises and I call from the BB with KsJs. The flop comes Kd6h8h. I check, he bets just over the pot, I call. The turn is a 3s. I check, he bets about the size of the pot. I have a fairly strong sense that he’s bluffing. I’m not sure enough to move in or to check with the intention of calling almost any river, but I’m pretty sure he’s weak. I call. The turn is a 9s. I check and he moves all-in for about the size of the pot. A call would leave me with 90,000 or so. I think his bet was 310,000.

So here’s the thing… I’m pretty sure he’s bluffing. That should have been overwhelmingly the most important decision variable. But…. I just couldn’t see this guy bluffing off his tournament after our conversation (and based on what I had seen from his play). My mind was fighting itself….. “surely this guy is bluffing. just look at him. but would this guy really bluff himself out of the tournament?” Ultimately I decided that the answer to that last question was “no”. I folded and he showed A9. Kenny says that after my conversation with the guy during the break, I should have leaned strongly towards a call.

Brandon