Bluff vs common sense in poker: it isn't easy to spot while playing on the net against an opponent 4,000 miles away (ha ha)...
Using your position to bluff
Well, apparently some of you actually understood last week's article. Common sense, wasn't it... Well here's a few swerve balls...
Again, it may be common sense but you can also use your position to bluff. Personally, when playing live, I only bluff if I think I can pick up some sort of tell as well. Maybe a quick check, a sigh, a look of disgust as an ace hits the flop. This isn't quite so easy to spot while playing on the internet against an opponent 4,000 miles away. Apparently there are books available on internet tells nowadays, but I'm a little sceptical myself. I haven't read them myself but maybe I should.
Ok let's assume that you have progressed and the game is 2$/$4 Limit Hold'em. Everyone passes to you on the blind. You raise your pair of 8s because there are only 2 hands behind you. But the small blind re-raises and you should call. The flop comes A K 2 off suit. The small blind checks. Well either he is playing sneaky or maybe he raised you with a pair of 9s, 10s, Js, Qs, or even a smaller pair than yours in the first place, or he is a suited connectors raiser. In all these cases he has assumed you called him with an Ace. So make a bet. You might win a $13 pot with a $2 bluff. If he raises, give it up. The clever git trap checked you, he's probably got AK or AQ and you lost an extra $2 in the pot. If he smooth calls then maybe he's got it maybe he hasn't, and maybe you hit an 8 on Fourth Street. If he checks again, well you have to make a judgement on how sneaky he is. If he's an honest Joe, make another bet. You may pick up a $17 pot for a $4 bluff...
Ok, although the moral of today's story is that you can use your position to bluff, I must unfortunately add a warning... most bluffers get carried away, do it too much and lose in the long run. So don't get carried away. Patience is probably the most important Poker virtue. I just wish I had some!
Oh and for those of you who were a little worried about my fridge being empty, fortunately my luck improved in February. The European Omaha Championship was held in Paris, and the deck hit me in the face for 2 days. I outlasted some of the world's best Omaha players like Rob Hollink (Holland) and Robert Williamson (USA) to pick up a cool 71,000 euros. Unbelievably, the following week I was second to fellow Stokie, Paul Maxfield, in the main Hold'em event and collected another 41,000 euros. And Sian got to see Peter Pan 5 times !
See you next week folks,
Dave
