Poker Breakdown: What Exactly is Jason Koon Doing in this Super High Stakes Game?

Seems like the initial check was actually just a 'give up/see if anyone had an ace' spot, which might be a good way to balance a wide range of value hands vs aggressive opponents. If we bet our misses with low-equity hands too often, we can dig ourselves predictability holes that are hard to get out of.

Checking the flop vs. two opponents also give us maximum maneuvering potential, with all options and information at our disposal for free. For example, had the flop gone BB check, Koon check, Elton bet, BB calls or raises, we have an easy fold without putting another dollar in the pot. If it checks around, we get to see what the BB does on the turn and play the hand from there, usually going bet-bet, depending on the runout. The trick is whether our value range can support a line that still gets credibility moving forward. We have to do this with top pair and better sometimes too.

I'm guessing Koon has taken this 'give up betting lead, check-call the flop' line vs Elton (or similar aggro players) in the past with a wide range of value hands in order to capture value from weaker hands/bluffs. It makes some sense to balance a marginal/good value check-call range with some number of bad/small-equity/give up hands (bad as the plan seems) in order to encourage continued turn/river bets. If Elton thinks we're never folding when we take a check-call line like this, he's less apt to fire three barrels in the future, limiting how we can get value from him. It's important that he knows he can actually blow us off some things because we check-call with shit like10-9s in this spot. In other words. Let's say you're Elton in this exact spot and you just got check-called by Koon on the flop. Without knowing 10-9s is in the range, you might think a check call range is something like 88, 99, TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AA, flush draws and top pair or better. Now mix in a weird hand like 10-9s and suddenly you're EVEN MORE difficult to play against. I do think it's a super meta range balancing thing.

I think AA also makes sense. Crushed the board check to the Agro guy then bet river for value, but yeah this was an odd flop play.

At a certain point, wouldn't a weird flop move like that just be requisite to set up different moves on later streets? If Koon thought he was losing to middle pair and has his opponent ranged very tightly could he have been just setting up a situation where as long as two overs come he can bet and fold out a weak middle pair? A very situational play, and playing his opponent not his cards.