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23/02/2011 No. 102
he Guardian Poker Column
 
   
 
 
Victoria Coren
Wed 23 February 2011
 
 
 
A game of skill

Folding a full house? An astonishing play from Neil Channing

In the £1,500 high roller event at the UKIPT Nottingham, I watched an astonishing play from Neil Channing, MD of BlackBelt Poker. If you ever bump into one of those sceptics who still refuse to believe that poker is a game of skill, tell them about this hand.

The blinds were 150-300, we all had around 30k. Somebody limped early and Owen Robinson raised to 750. Channing called from the button. I called from the big blind with 6 7. What the hell; I was priced in to play a multiway pot. The limper folded.
 
The flop came A A 9. No good for me, obviously, but they both checked behind so I saw the turn card: 5. I checked, Robinson checked and Channing bet 1,800. I folded immediately; this was no time to be drawing to an inside straight. Robinson called.

The river was 10. Robinson checked and Channing bet 3,300. Robinson raised to 10,000. Channing thought. He thought and thought. He thought some more. Then he folded . . . face up . . . A 5!

Folding a full house? The third nuts? Who does that? Channing told me later: "I knew Owen had a lot of backers from the internet, scrutinising his every move. He wouldn't let himself lose half his stack with a massively funky bluff. He had a hand. When he checks the flop, I know he doesn't have a pocket pair – he has an ace or he's missed. When he flat calls the turn, I know he definitely has an ace, and it's not A9. He now knows I have an ace, he'd check-raise with his own house. But suddenly he's ready to check-raise the river? A10. It can only be A10."

People talk a lot about putting opponents on "ranges". Sometimes it's about putting them on hands. Robinson flashed the A10, and we all went to the break.

 
 
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