Poker's Most Frustrating Hand: A High Stakes Ace King Story

In this video, the caller takes an unorthodox line in a multi-way pot that get's him in trouble when the pot gets bloated and he faces aggression. Bart discusses the better line and bet sizing options that could have kept the hand from going off the rails.
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0:00 - Intro
1:01 - Preflop
2:28 - Flop
13:23 - Turn
19:25 - Hero Decision
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[@CrushlivePoker]

Ever think about life and work while in the middle of a massive pot?

[@Eric-tj3tg]

Not in the middle of a hand, but afterward, yeah. Every life choice may become a potential ruminator. Lol.

[@rcadegaming9123]

Thought about ending a life 3days ago after I got it in with QJ spades against 56spades on KT7 monotone spades. (There was also a tiny stack all in with Jd8s) Turn and river came 3s 4s for runner runner straight flush. Not only did he have .1% chance, but I had the open ended royal draw so felt even more salt than without it.

[@jamiealexander7065]

@@rcadegaming9123 what was it for, like $700?

[@well.thy.one.]

@@rcadegaming9123that is about as gross as it gets

[@chanceholdem5379]

People who think they have figured out the game really fast seem to be overconfident in the live tells and overplay there hands

[@danielmeuler2877]

I love playing against players like this. "Legends in their own mind". This dude has a Giant Ego (never good at a Poker Table) and Alot of Money to burn. I hope to run into him one day at a table.

[@vecter]

their*

[@feaster8417]

This guy is really confident in his reads lol

[@shawnfogelman6847]

I have to admit this is probably one of my favorite calls. Regardless of the stakes, Cold calls are very telling and typically show a shit ton of strength. I would have definitely checked the turn card for pot control purposes. Then reevaluate on the river. Thanks as always Bart

[@jakethebasher]

After the Canuck said that the SB cold-called, I immediately said that this was a fold.

[@terencehill3972]

“Dealer calls” 😂 Imagine how confused everybody would be, if suddenly the dealer flicked in a call…

[@brickcitybeatdown]

Lol

[@RicardoMartinez-oy9dg]

Caller went from “sb does crazy things that don’t make sense” to “he’s a good player” lol

[@Babyfacenelson1981]

Deciphering the bs.. I'd say Sb tilts when things don't go his way but when up he's solid. Some people drop off mentally pretty quick

[@Kelavis]

I thought he said the button was the crazy one?

[@JohnSmith-nx7zj]

@@Kelavis 7:20 he says the small blind is crazy. His story keeps changing.

[@jorgesotelo6749]

I was the other guy i was bluffing 27off

[@ijustwannaleaveacommentony6511]

turn bet made me puke

[@Grant112988]

The disparity between this guy's opinion of himself and what he actually did is fascinating.

[@MikeTidman]

Fish on a long term heater syndrome.

[@Grant112988]

@@MikeTidman that's a good way to describe it!

[@katiemarshall7531]

Vive la Montréal! Vive Québec 😅 but seriously, as a Canadian, we call that a Québec attitude. They're all like that 🤷‍♀️

[@relaxationmeditationsleep2934]

"No matter what you are saying, Bart. I've the perfect excuse to play the hand in a different way!"

[@davidstud3952]

lol Ramon

[@tny0515]

Someone should do a prank call and play out alec torelli kq hand he folded top 2 on a no straight + board . Just to get barts reaction 😂😂

[@datsumcrzysht]

Is this the hand with Nik? There was a flush on the board and Nik, despite being Nik, made a very polar bet(significant portion of Alec’s stack) and very well could’ve had the flush. It was only an atrocious fold because you could see the cards.

[@davidstud3952]

seems you are not very good at the game. would you blame him folding JxJc? No? well its a better call candidate than KQ in that spot.

[@tny0515]

@datsumcrzysht nah it was a rainbow board . No flush got there. No straight got there. Horrible fold. He was just playing with scared money I suppose

[@theman23162316]

Board was Qc8h2c5cKd.

[@danielmeuler2877]

How is that guy a winning player?? He has never impressed me.

[@Micahmorriscousin]

Felt like 44 for the whole way

[@mrj3711]

Caller is all over the place with their assessment of the sb.

[@DonTrump-sv1si]

This is why you should always fold AK preflop

[@Galaxy-ez8mh]

Folk?

[@user73958]

@@Galaxy-ez8mh It really is an overrated hand in ring play.

[@Galaxy-ez8mh]

@@user73958 what are you talking about? Ppl jam with AK or bet huge preflop!

[@Mr.Curiosity89]

Most overrated hand in poker

[@stefancopicuk]

Yes definitely. Although in our game we play at a higher thinking level. So we avoid these AK issues by taking the Aces and Kings out of the deck before we start. Not just a hat rack my friend.

[@user-rv2wu5wg5u]

great call, I enjoyed that one.

[@Gumption34]

I think it says something about the player that he notices 3 and 4 bets preflop most times but all of the sudden he opens early and everyone is willing to flat 🤔

[@jacobpotter2237]

Definitely the action player he was describing lol

[@billperkins4477]

Three people calling his open pre and then no one calling the clock after ten minutes...fun player checklist.

[@daneeldouglass6391]

BILL!!! THIS is the best comment i have ever read. And it all makes sense. The way the player describes the hand and his spazzy decisions on the flop and turn makes me also think that he is the fun player.

[@huiwang2543]

when you are the only fish at table rest of them give you more time

[@lisamartin7442]

Excellent therapy session! Who doesn’t have an epic AK story that went off the rails 😂

[@danielmeuler2877]

But this guy is a Super Savant Pro! I can't believe he ever loses😅😅

[@jeremyhahn3612]

My kryptonite is when I hold AK and the opponent open shoves 100 bb into a 10bb pot where the flop is A36 or something random like that. What are you supposed to do? Seems like folding is wrong but you already know you're probably beat.

[@ant4007]

At 1/2 small stakes, once the button raises u to $950 and SB calls. Easy fold

[@drakedescher8329]

yeah bc that is an all in pre flop, in this game its only 10% of average stack or less. that's like a 40 dollar open in a 1/2 game where everyone has about 400 behind

[@Dynamice1337]

@@drakedescher8329 I play 1/2 with a 400 buy in cap and stacks routinely get pretty big. It's not unusual to have 3-4 players with 1K. People get married to their 1 pair hands all the time and get stacked because they didn't recognize that their opponent was trying to get all the money in. I'd prefer to fold to blatant aggression in a multiway pot when I have no draws or redraws. I like to lose small pots and win big pots. If the opponent isn't bluffing turn, then he isn't bluffing flop. The SB flat on the flop is a huge alarm bell for me. Either he has a huge draw or a huge made hand or a suicide bluff plan. I don't want to be there for any of that. There will be better spots.The opponents have no idea what you folded.

[@TheCrawdad7]

Let me tell you something

[@petertonning3865]

😂😂😂😂

[@jordanfranklin189]

Fire Marshal bill headass😂😂

[@thebarrybarry]

This is brillsnt, only on the turn but give this guy a coaching job

[@5starUBERabba]

Malibu's Room is legendary!!! Whatever happens in MR, stays in MR...where any two cards will call to crack preflop.

[@markfromct2]

"You actually representing more than you have here" On Point in my 'fun player' estimation

[@fransfermont6193]

After the sb cold called the raise from the button, my AK would have hit the muck almost instantly. Way too much action to be any good there and with 2 more streets to play for i am the hell out of there.

[@wesleykorisky8600]

Caller: I bet 4600 Me: aaaand now we're pot committed 😮‍💨

[@masterhakk]

You can't bet 4600 just to fold to a jam here

[@4ftBeaver]

@@masterhakkyou either go with your read or don’t make the bet. If you think he is going to make a play and he goes and makes a play, how can you fold? That said he could have avoided this situation at multiple points.

[@masterhakk]

@@4ftBeaver basically how I see it is if you think you have the winning hand then you might as well call his all in. In this situation otherwise just don't make the bet

[@Eric-tj3tg]

His inconsistencies in where he thought he was on flop, then turn(ahead/behind), as to who the "wild" player was (in sb at start of call, but became folded out button later), which is important here, right? Did a reasonable player overcall the reraise on the flop in sb or the wild player? I'd rather he just call it off on turn as he thought he was good...enough to bloat it in position. I get it, and nerves are real, but this lacked internal consistency, and is a shame for caller.

[@fluffysheap]

Villain has 44 100%

[@newstandardaccount]

Yeah, or maybe quads though of course 44 is more probable. The only thing that bothers me about 4s jamming is that as played, sb has to be worried about hero having AA, no?

[@Babyfacenelson1981]

From the start caller said sb is crazy and was worried about button... u shake off button and get up against this guy.. id lean on hero call but its only based on callers 1st instincts... flop raises typically could be a funky A4s hand and he couldve just thought if your a weak tight player there could be a bluff.... normal cases you would run into a set here against regs

[@bploan8464]

"so he raised all in, so what did you do" "So i took 10 minutes and started thinking about my life and my job"😅😅😅😅😅 I Like this guy

[@sethshapiro5973]

I love players like this. Even when completely misplaying their hand, they also simultaneously make it obvious what they have. Good times.

[@scottdumont7107]

No 3! Pre. I would say 33, 44 and A3s for villian make the most sense. Also maybe a crazy tricky flat of AA pre for a rounders scenario and a rare A4 as well. And guy beat umm umm not sure what but there’s not much. Also with the button folding out on flop to pressure kind of says he had the draw or weaker ace you hoped the villian had pushing villian way more to value. I don’t hate th the 3! On flop against certain opponents but call and even fold seem better usually. Checking back turn I would also consider as you can keep all the weaker hands in that are likely near dead and also control the pot . Bart summed this up well imo

[@jameswalker7420]

Flop 3bet is basically repping a set, 2 pair at the very least. So IMO turn bet can be very small. But then in that case we're.....bluffing? Hero played in a way that he can never get called by worse on the turn.

[@kemillionaire2]

Lol overplay

[@Lukas-qf2uh]

im guessing two pair ace-four/three suited. Would explain the call pre-flop

[@ericnguyen654]

He tanked for 10mins?! Is that Canadian time ? Lol 😂

[@danielmeuler2877]

Pocket 44's is my guess to the Vilians hand.

[@jonathonkowalski412]

He was the crazy player, not the other two. He will never figure it out though.

[@MrLuvmusl]

Damn I wanna play in a high stakes game with these players!

[@_RPM_Fitness_]

Im putting him on 44 with the flat call of 175 pre flop, he was out of postion I dont think he is calling with A4 suited.

[@lifeiswonderful22]

No, I'm not thinking about work during a pot that is almost half my annual salary lol

[@katiemarshall7531]

This is why the rest of us travel halfway across the country to play in Montreal 😅

[@mikesica8404]

Turn always seems like a fold. Sometimes a call I guess. Raise seems like the worse option

[@22cps_]

Pocket 33s, this guy overplayed his hand and lost the maximum instead of playing in flow and probably could’ve gotten to showdown for half of his turn bet if he played in flow

[@TheMightyDoon]

Lol at Bart suggesting fold flop cause that would be horrifically nitty weak. Value betting small on flop also sends the message of a possibly weak/probing c-bet with say JJ, so someone raising it is pretty far from a sign of huge strength. But obv the coldcall by SB is strong, although SB could easily be like AJs, esp since Btn was a maniac. I don't mind Heros flop 3b as long as he had a plan if 4b, which would obv be much stronger and can let you fold much more safely than to the initial raise. But I think in real time I could find a call and play defense, esp when SB coldcalled. When h/u the turn is a check back all day for me for pot control, cause although the 3 appears to be a good card for us, the paired board is now a WA/WB situation and don't wanna get blown off the hand. River fold obv. Still lol at Bart considering folding flop.

[@TheMightyDoon]

Replying to my own post lol but wanted to say how I think the hand is much easier to play with either a psb or an overbet of say 800 on the flop. For those saying we're losing all of our value by chasing out hands, I say look at the board. How much are mid pairs or 78s putting in on the turn? So what are we hoping to achieve with $275 into $700? A coupla flop calls? I think $275 into $700 with AKo TPTK in a 3 way pot is a mistake when super deep.

[@JohnSmith-nx7zj]

Value betting small multi-way on the flop is very standard these days. It doesn’t necessarily indicate a weak holding. When it goes raise-call on a rainbow flop you’re rarely going to be ahead id say. If button is a maniac and small blind is an aware player then fine, but I’m not loving the spot with AK.

[@EllieBanks333]

I don't think it was "lol" at all. I went back to re-watch the beginning of the hand, and caller does not say BTN is a maniac. He suggests SB is capable of crazy plays, but also that he is winning this session [same starting & current stack as caller/hero]. Now I was not at this table, if I was and had some kind of read, then sure I'd continue. But my initial reaction was the same as Bart's. And I will tell you that in the majority of the games I play; the hero is never good here. One of the other big problems is that the SB being OOP means he will have to lead the turn, because otherwise it will check through virtually 100%.

[@jameswalker7420]

This hand sounds like every fish who thinks he has to blow everyone off their draws whenever he has top pair.

[@theadventuresofslim3057]

6 years ago the VIP room in playground aka Malibu's room was invite only and the line up was a whale or 2 some fun players, Malibu and his cousin if you brought a backpack you generally wouldn't be welcome in this room. AFAIK nothing shady went on, they just tried to make the game suitable for recreational players that didn't want to play against the robotic grinders.

[@ticenits1926]

Flop 3bet turning TP into a bluff. Well played 🙄

[@Texasfishingfamily]

I think the moral of this story is he could have lost the same amount and probably gotten to showdown and seen villains cards.

[@timothyburke6949]

Bart gives great advice for a dude that knows what happens in the hand.

[@ilovebrandnewcarpets]

5h6h is the only bluff I can think of. It’s crazy, but so was this entire hand lol.

[@timmyp34]

What about AK?

[@drakedescher8329]

@@timmyp34 small blind likely not going to want to flat with AK not to mention its less likely bc of the ace on board and callers exact hand. Imo it was 44 or 56H. Small chance of complete airball bluff or pocket 8s/9s trying to rep the full house to get him off an ace. But as bart said cold calling twice and then ripping over a massive turn overbite is heavily weighed to the nuts or strength rather than a bluff.

[@colintimp1372]

Should never, never, never be re-raising on the flop. First, you can very well be up against 44, 33, A4, A3 from either player; and if the small blind is crazy, he can show up with 52 at some frequency. If that's the case, you're almost drawing dead. If you are up against weaker aces (like AJ or A10), you're going to push them out; which you don't want to do. The draws aren't going to pay off unless they hit; and then you're screwed. To make money in poker, you want worse hands to call and better to fold. Worse isn't calling and better isn't folding; so you shouldn't be raising. I think it's too exploitable to fold here, so I would call and proceed with caution on the turn. On the turn, you shouldn't be betting. If you look at the hands that you're behind (52, A4, 44, any 3), you're drawing to 1-4 outs. You're only really ahead of weaker aces; in which your opponent would have 3 outs; and I don't think AJ and weaker is still in very often. The general rule is that when you're either way ahead or way behind you should be checking.

[@move_i_got_this5659]

Some games get into a frenzy. Gamblers get a feeling and they just refuse to fold. Pots are huge and the winning hands are not matching the huge pots.

[@felicewillilms4875]

4-4 no doubt. 3-3 to make quads much rarer hand. A-A would not have likely 4 bet, and all A would then be accounted for so rarer, plus blocker. A-4 would be shit hand to play this way. Went set mining for fair price, hit set than full house. Only loses to A-A (possible) and 3-3 (unlikely) becoming highly unlikely as would have been instant calls unless delaying for effect.

[@lopmig11]

Turn bet was stupid. Get the free card when it's available and pot has ballooned up to 18k before the 4.6k bet on the turn. But I think he had A4 of clubs.

[@terencepointer7038]

Objective is to be obscure if the whole table knows you shouldn’t be at that game

[@modestomouso1234]

For a guy who claims he’s “advanced really quickly”, he sure butchered this hand pretty damn hard lol.

[@MrBrrrki]

"Wild" players are not stupid players, the reraise on the flop and call from sb should have been enough to fold. It was a small bet preflop and all kind of hands can get in, you thinking its only premium hands gets u in trouble on this board and make you overplay AK. Sometimes while we play we give too much credit to other people making plays in order to justify a call, but its rarely so in pots this big. The biggest problem is u lost 7k on a 200 preflop hand, i think hero needs to put on brakes when the pot is balooning out of scale and has almost no outs to the nuts.

[@TeeBoston]

if it was USD vs CAN $ i would also fold... :) ..... He may have had AK also... BTW

[@stevenundisclosed6091]

This guy is just turning top pair into a bluff on the turn.

[@zionsmith3116]

Well played except for the 4650 punt when hero could have checked. This deep and shot taking when you’re this up, trips or set only to play this way and call the all in.

[@abigailindigo3208]

Excellent hand! A 2 year player will not have appropriate reads just saying

[@tippychips574]

V let the fish caller off the hook with turn jam, otherwise he might have got in all OTR

[@patrickgorecki8252]

POV: high stakes player calls in (it’s zynga poker…)

[@philip-op6de]

This guy is making up this entire story 😂 😭

[@goblue1117]

Did he say he tanked for 10 mins?

[@Mauricio-kf8qx]

Lol thinks guy was calling to make a move on a future street so he raises😂😂😂😂 anyone else hear a lot of contradictions?

[@jasonhounsell3297]

“I saved half my stack” - Could have saved 95% of it if you didn’t go mental on the flop 😂 the guy tanked a bit basically coming to peace with he’s getting coolered by aces 😆 I bet he was shocked when you didn’t snap call his shove - and it dawned on him “wow this guy has really over played his hand this badly” No offense dude 😂

[@andrewallin7856]

jesus betting the turn was a sumo blunder

[@nolimitpoker]

Game sounds soft as it was last time I was there

[@huiwang2543]

when you think you're a pro but you plays show elsewise

[@YouTubeaidsreal]

Just to tell you caller you didnt save half your stack. You overpaid AK and lost EV big time this hand

[@frankberger3507]

11:04 Weary means tired. Wary or leery mean worried or concerned. Sorry to be that guy.

[@karlinchina]

He said wary, which is what he meant to say.

[@jamespohl-md2eq]

Oh, she may be wary And young girls, they do get waried

[@atfti]

Hand might've been salvaged when hero bet turn but he chooses to bet huge. Way too much filter

[@SucceedREI]

This guy has no business playing at these stakes 🙈

[@stevencrear3495]

Poker is alive and well.

[@brock83995]

I mean he started this call up wok this session

[@brock83995]

To be fair he is learning and open to his mistakes

[@brianfloyd2279]

⁠this is what I'm thinking. And he's playing above his normal stakes...kudos to the guy for trying to move up.

[@fkscopes]

This isn't too bad

[@nolimitpoker]

Free advice stick to 1-2 learn the game track your sessions.

[@JohnSmith-nx7zj]

Anyone just folding the flop? Unless I know button is a maniac and small blind is a complete station. Feels optimistic to hope they’re both on a draw here.

[@markd9318]

Thats cute. They were playing with canadian dollars like its real money

[@nikitakucherov5028]

Yes you overplayed one pair being that deep but your truly inexcusable play was tanking for 10 mins. That’s an eternity 😩. Take a couple minutes and then just make a decision. Tanking drives away recreational players by the truckload!

[@EfficientRVer]

I'd be very curious to know whether/how he built a bankroll, what percentage of his bankroll was on the table, how often he added to or replenished his bankroll from income/savings, etc. I realize that it's the biggest game he plays in, but still, it sure appears to me that he absolutely must be -EV in the game, and probably is a breakeven player at best, at a fifth of these stakes. I like and recommend playing one or two levels below where you are breakeven, and "taking shots" only up to the level where you have good reason to believe you are breakeven. That assumes you want to be able to generate somewhat steady income from poker, by playing a lot of hours. I realize that's not everybody's goal. Maybe he has $50K to burn, as some combination of entertainment expense and poker-lesson expense via learning the hard way. If so, then there is nothing to criticize, and like any reg, I welcome players like that to hand over their money to regs and pros, rather than to the casino, boat ownership, flying in First Class on vacations, buying a vacation home, or whatever. The one positive thing I have to say about his play, is that his turn bet sizing was big enough to "see where he's at", and he didn't ignore the answer. It wasn't GTO, but at least, just barely, it kept him from getting stacked. 10 minutes was really excessive, even in a game where "nobody calls the clock". The actual reason they didn't call the clock on him, was that nobody wanted to tap on the fish tank. And no, I never think about life and work in the middle of a massive pot! There are games where I'd be scared money, and I know enough not to play them. Anytime I was playing at new stakes, I'd make sure that I was willing to play my game, often my only moving up when my bankroll was super healthy, well above what I needed in the game I am moving up from and expecting to continue normally playing most of the time, just increasing the percentage of the time I jump into a good game at the higher stakes. I never, ever, risk dipping below the upper end of my bankroll needed for the game I'm coming from.

[@anthonyholder7629]

Sounded like he bought in for 5 ran it up to about15

[@pot_kivach160]

_The actual reason they didn't call the clock on him, was that nobody wanted to tap on the fish tank_

[@Call_Call_Fold]

Tanked for 10 minutes? That’s egregious. How inconsiderate.

[@johnmar6376]

Hero needs to do more studying.

[@Brandon-ym8zi]

He had KQ hearts

[@Zach-tf2qu]

Lol

[@SerErryk]

To be playing $15k deep you need a bankroll of half a mil at least.

[@fluffysheap]

You need 4000 BBs so 200K. But this caller is not a pro so he should play whatever stakes he can afford to lose.

[@jameswalker7420]

Half a million minimum sounds about right if you're a legit pro at this stake and not just taking a shot.

[@peterveckmen9314]

Bro idk something about this call seems like a troll

[@State-uw8pu]

Not a troll

[@TruMagoo]

I want this guy to lose just because of his accent