Player reels in big pot but could have had much more

Most poker players who win a tournament probably want to write about the last hand, the one that clinched the tournament. The final hand is obviously important, but I would like to share my thoughts on a crucial hand that I played at the final table of the Mid-States Poker Tour Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, Iowa. This hand gave me the chip lead and ultimately helped me win the tournament and the top prize of $52,360.

The blinds were at 8,000-16,000 with a 2,000 ante. Everyone folded to the cutoff, Keith Ehlers, who raised to 41,000. The button folded, and I was in the small blind staring at the As Qs. I called, and Phil Mader called from the big blind as well.

The flop came down Ks 8s 5s. Booyah! It was difficult to keep the lights and bells in my head from exploding through the top of my hat. Fortunately, I was wearing sunglasses, so my opponents weren’t able to see that my eyes were popping out of my head. Other than that, I felt I was able to hide my “tells” pretty well.

I calmly checked. Mader did the same, and Ehlers came in with a continuation bet of 34,000. I just called, and Mader called from the big blind, too.

The turn was the 4d, and I checked. Mader checked behind, and Ehlers put out a big bet of 100,000 chips.

Again, it was everything I could do from pushing all in. I resisted for three reasons. First, I didn’t want to blast out the raiser. Second, I didn’t want to lose the big blind. Third, I wasn’t sure if the board would pair on the last card, so I wanted to keep my options open after the river. I made the call, but Mader folded from the big blind.

The river was the inconsequential 10h. At this point, I knew I held the nuts, as the board hadn’t paired and a straight flush wasn’t possible. After several seconds, I decided to come in with a small bet of 50,000 into a pot of nearly 450,000.

Thinking back on it, I should have bet more, like 100,000 or 150,000, or maybe even an all-in shove. The small bet caused the original raiser to question my holdings. Ehlers asked me if I flopped the flush, and all I could come back with was a “maybe” and shrug. Perhaps I should have kept completely still and silent?

He finally called the 50,000 bet with two pair, and I tabled my winning hand. I collected the biggest pot of the tournament up to that point.

Ehlers obviously believed that I held ace-king with the As for a missed flush. Although I believe that I left some value on the table, I was pleased with the way I played that hand from the small blind.

Ted Takasaki is a professional fisherman. The walleye angler was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2010. His victory in the MSPT Grand Falls was his first major tournament win.