Check-Jamming a Combo Draw for 100 Big Blinds? A GTO Analysis

PokerNews Staff

Nov 25, 2019 2 min read

Check-Jamming a Combo Draw for 100 Big Blinds? A GTO Analysis

Say you find yourself playing from out of position in a three-bet pot holding a combination draw. What would be the "game theory optimal" or GTO approach to playing your draw?

Poker coach Gareth James of MTT Poker School tackles that very situation in a new video in which he uses PIO Solver to walk us through a GTO approach to the question of whether or not to check-shove our stack.

Over the course of the hand analysis, James seeks answers to three questions:

Are we ever check-jamming at 100 big blinds?
If so, with what hands should we do it?
How do we play our combo draws?

Here's an overview of what James covers:

0:06	Introduction: How to play out of position in a three-bet pot.
0:30	The Hand: Hero opens from the cutoff to 2.1x from a 40 BB stack with 9♠8♠. The button three-bets to 6 BB, Hero calls, and the flop comes 7♠J♠9♦. Hero checks, Villain bets about half-pot. What should Hero do?
2:07	Exploring a GTO Solution (at 40 BB): Gareth explains how he used PIOSolver to compare the strategies at 40 BB vs. 100 BB in this same situation — i.e., CO vs. BTN in a three-bet pot on 7♠J♠9♦. He discusses the importance of having some very clear questions to which you want answers when doing such an analysis — otherwise you can end up down several rabbit holes.
5:34	Exploring a GTO Solution (at 100 BB): Now he looks at the same situation with 100 BB and aims to answer the same questions.
7:32	Playing combo draws: Gareth brings up Range Explorer to look at how we should play our combo draws specifically.
8:57	Comparing different hand strengths: Gareth explains how it can be useful to compare strategies across different hand strengths — e.g., how you should play straights, sets, two pair, flush draws, straight draws, etc.?
9:39	Putting it all together: Finally, Gareth brings up an in-depth analysis of all hand strengths at both 40 BB and 100 BB to give you an idea of something you can do to help your study.