{"id":8590,"date":"2018-06-19T15:11:13","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T15:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=8590"},"modified":"2018-06-19T17:14:41","modified_gmt":"2018-06-19T17:14:41","slug":"did-pokers-new-power-couple-cheat-or-is-soft-play-intrinsic-three-handed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/did-pokers-new-power-couple-cheat-or-is-soft-play-intrinsic-three-handed\/","title":{"rendered":"Did Poker\u2019s New Power Couple Cheat, Or Is Soft Play Intrinsic Three-Handed?"},"content":{"rendered":"

ICM considerations can make for strange bedfellows.<\/p>\n

In poker,\u00a0taking it easy on someone, otherwise known as\u00a0soft play<\/strong>, is considered collusion<\/strong>. Obviously, collusion is against the rules. However, short-handed at the final table of a tournament, there may be several situations where it simply makes sense to play a little softer against an opponent than one normally would.<\/p>\n

Imagine you were three-handed in the $5,000 buy-in Mid-States Poker Tour Venetian Main Event<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0this past weekend. Finish third and you\u2019ll earn $120,000. However, there\u2019s a big pay jump up to second, where you\u2019ll earn $169,000. Plus, an even bigger one if you can win and collect the $270,000 first-place prize.<\/p>\n

Now imagine you have 45 percent of the chips in play, one opponent has 45 percent as well, and the other player holds just 10 percent. It just makes sense to avoid confrontation with the player holding an equally big stack. You\u2019re naturally going to focus on getting rid of the short stack first. That means playing a little softer against that equally stacked player, and by definition, you would be guilty of collusion.<\/p>\n

Collusion or standard practice?<\/span><\/h2>\n

However, it\u2019s the kind of collusion that seems to be standard practice in poker. Perhaps because it\u2019s just common sense, this kind of collusion has even been deemed acceptable.<\/p>\n

Now imagine that player is a good friend. Perhaps you have a backing arrangement, or maybe you\u2019re in a relationship together.<\/p>\n

Real-life couple Alex Foxen<\/strong> and partypoker<\/strong><\/a> pro\u00a0Kristen Bicknell<\/strong>, who have been killing it everywhere from Las Vegas<\/strong><\/a> to Macau lately, don\u2019t have to imagine this scenario. They just went through it in that MSPT Venetian Main Event.<\/p>\n

Aussie standout Kahle Burns<\/strong> was in the unfortunate position of third wheel as they battled it out on a Twitch<\/strong> live stream<\/a> for some pretty hefty sums of cash.<\/p>\n

Colluding on camera?<\/span><\/h2>\n

With the cameras watching at all times, Foxen and Bicknell appeared to say and do very little that would indicate any kind of collusion, outside of normally acceptable practices<\/strong>. However, they are indeed a couple, making increased accusations of soft play almost inevitable.<\/p>\n

Three-handed play lasted close to four hours. Burns was finally sent packing and Foxen and Bicknell chopped, playing a couple hands for the title and an additional 10 percent of the remaining prize money they were forced to set aside and play for.<\/p>\n

But not before one big hand played out three-handed, filling the Twitch chat<\/strong> with numerous accusations of collusion.<\/p>\n

Burns was relatively short, holding about 750,000 in chips at the time. Foxen and Bicknell looked to be about even in chips, on about 2.2 million each.<\/p>\n

Foxen raised the button with two jacks. After Burns folded the small blind, Bicknell saw two aces in the big blind and three-bet. Foxen called and hit top set on the flop. Bicknell bet 200,000 and Foxen just called before a king came on the turn.<\/p>\n

Bicknell checked, then snap-called when Foxen bet 375,000. She also checked a brick on the river quite quickly and Foxen took a minute before sliding out a bet of 600,000. Bicknell took her time about it, but eventually opted to fold. Foxen showed the set, and Bicknell confirmed she had aces when a clearly disappointed Burns asked.<\/p>\n

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