Top 5 Final Table Hero Calls

(Photo: Pokergurublog.com)

H ero calls are arguably the most attractive type of plays in poker. While crazy multi-barrel bluffs, 4bet/5bet wars or even disciplined folds can be very exciting for the viewers, the relative infrequency of showdowns makes catching someone on a bluff so much more appealing. Casual viewers can marvel at the amazing game sense required to make such play, poker purists can appreciate the constant struggle to keep the bottom of one's range as small as possible in certain spots. If we add to that the bright lights, cameras and the context of a final table we get something really special.

A Cautionary Tale

Before we get into some of the most epic final table decisions let's consider this interesting example. It's important to realize that hero calling is a dangerous game. By definition, you're attempting a play that's very unusual and thin in nature, calling with a weak holding that you wouldn't call with in normal circumstances. That's why we don't ever hear about most of the hero calls; they usually go straight into the muck... unless of course, they happen in the head's up match for the title of WSOP Main Event champion in which case they become a part of poker history.

It's hard to say what exactly was going through to Ryan Riess's head at the time, but his decision to call with Q-high wasn't as outrageous at it might seem at first glance. The Kc3s2c board is as dry as two-tone boards go so it makes a lot of sense for Farber to bet with the vast majority of his range. At the same time, ducks and crabs are by definition the smallest part of any player's range (unless he/she plays 100% of hands of course) so it's not like Jay can bet with many different medium strength hands. The few pockets that he has in his range are so rare that he simply has to be polarized when betting on this texture.

Future streets only reinforce the same story and given the fact that it makes a lot of sense for Farber to slow down at some point with A-high (to realize showdown value), 3c further decreases the number of nut combos (only one combo of 33 left in the deck) and Riess is blocking a few possible flushes with Jack of clubs (not a very significant fact on its own but it's just another piece of information that led him to make the decision to call) we get a scenario in which hero call might actually be a viable play.

Master at Work

A quick 180 palate cleanser. Riess showed us what hero call attempts usually look like, Seidel, on the other hand, gives us the best case scenario. EPT high roller final table, expertly read board, and Erik even went a touch lower than Ryan calling with J-high instead of Q-high. To be fair the situation was, also a bit more clear cut and the reasons for making the call somewhat easier to find.

First of all Dzmitry Urbanovich checked back the flop which automatically makes it harder to represent (and/or have) a strong hand, especially on this board texture. With two possible flush draws on the board, the turn gives a lot of reasons for any player to be polarized especially because Seidel took a passive line twice. Lastly, with two aces on the board, the number of possible value combinations is so low that the hero call - while still incredibly hard to make - makes a lot of sense. It's a shame this isn't the hand most poker fans remember Seidel for...

Another EPT Classic

Davidi Kitai isn't the name that immediately comes to mind when we think about the best players and the most epic plays, but he's a very solid grinder with impressive results (including multiple WSOP bracelets) who's very well know by EPT enthusiasts. He's also the author of one of the most epic hero calls in the EPT final table history. On the flop, Kitai had solid showdown value and backdoors a plenty so he made a fairly straightforward call. The turn was uneventful though it's important to point out that it doesn't make a lot of sense for Chen to slow down with top pair, even less not to value bet the rarely turned second pair or take a passive line with backdoored gutshots and open-enders. The river card is crucial for the reasons described above. Ten hits the range that should continue on the turn very, very hard. Two pair (9T, JT), sets (99-JJ) and straights (KQ, 87) aren't particularly likely because most if not all of those hands should've been betting the turn.

This is why Davidi decided to make a bluff with the intention of folding out random 7x and 5x combos which prompted a series of fireworks. Chen made a raise designed specifically to punish the type of play Kitai made, the only problem with that was that while Kitai's line made all the sense in the world from the flop to the river, Chen's - much less so. It was still a tremendously hard call to make and 90% of players in Davidi's spot wouldn't be able to pull it off.

Impressive hero call by Davidi Kitai numero dos. In this particular hand, the villain made the mistake of trying to represent UTG open raising range in a pot that was limped preflop. It's hard to imagine that big blind free play will often connect on the AJT flop which by the river makes his range heavily weighted towards busted flush draws.

If at First, You Don't Succeed Try Try Again

WSOP Main Event final table was our starting point so it's only fitting that we should end there. Besides, making a successful hero call at the WSOP final table has to be THE dream scenario for most poker players. This particular hand starts - as potential hero call attempts often do - with a dry flop inviting aggressive actions with a wide range. Turn brings another important ingredient of the 'hero call formula' that's present in some of the other hands described above - passive play by the eventual river aggressor that ultimately capped his range and made that future act of aggression smell somewhat fishy.

In this particular hand it makes very little sense for Heinz to check back any kind of a value hand (Ax, 9x, 66 etc.) and since he doesn't have very many combos of those in his range to begin with, once he decides to make the ambitious river raise over Staszko's thin value bet, the only super unlikely hand left that makes sense in his value range is a pair of Jacks. The Czech player realized that and even in this tremendously stressful setting (you don't play at a WSOP main event final table every day) he managed to make an epic hero call.