Bluffers and how to spot them

[South Pole]

First, what's a bluffer? I offer this definition :-

Someone who overbets/overraises their hand to represent a better hand than they actually hold so as to induce the opponent to fold.

Even if you disagree with my definition what's important for us solid players is TO SPOT THEM IN THE ACT AND WIN THE POT (which is often big).

I'm specifically interested in whether people are aware of typical ploys that bluffers tend to use.

For examples :-
Do they raise pre-flop? How much? Any particular position? Do they raise on the flop? Do they typically double your bet on the flop? Do they prefer all-in? At what stage of the hand? Do they tend to bet reasonable amounts or do they seem to bet far more than seems necessary? Do they go for the small pots or the big ones?

It seems to me one of their favourite targets are players they haven't seen before.

I'll send a HH later as my contribution (when I get home).

Thanks in advance for useful responses.

[juggler97531]

on micros(at least on the sites i play) i wouldn't really care much about big bluffers. They will stack themselves against calling stations - and i will stack these calling stations.
This is my way to get their money.

[jk1986]

Just make sure you always check the HH to see what the opponent had after a hand, and you'll pick up on how he plays different hands.
From your post it sounds like you have disdain for bluffing! Other than cbetting, I don;t think its that necessary to bluff air at the micros, although semi-bluffing is v important against the regulars.

[South Pole]

Truth is I bluff as well (if anybody out there doesn't, my advice is start today) although probably not enough. Probably I'll post soon along the lines of "How to improve your bluffing". It's all about winning (and taking part as well of course) and being succesful. To do that you have to improve, I don't mind how I get there.

OK, yeah, I hate bluffers. Long live bluffers (they can be a good source of big pots).

btw What's cbetting?

[jk1986]

Cbetting is continuation betting, where you raise preflop and follow it up with a cbet on the flop, a la Brunsons supersystem.

[corsakh]

There is a big difference between people overvaluing/overbetting their hands and those who apply pressure intelligently to fold out a certain range of their opponent. First are blatant and easy money, second one are a very rare sight at micros.

[South Pole]

course if you or A.N.Other folded.......... no HH ain't gonna help no how.

[South Pole]

At the micro level there are also those who overbet "innocently". They're new and don't know what they're doing yet.

[Shizzle12345]

I occasonally bluff, if i know their nits. If i sense weakness and i know its not the 'I cant fold this' type. Good players are more easy to bluff, and they are rare on 25 and 50NL .

I noticed on the micro's if u spot some guy bluffing couple times, he will most likely do it again within the next 10 hands. When u put these guys on a flush draw and ur OOP and u got like a pair of 9's (if u feel u beat him), ALWAYS check the river, iv seen them so many times way overbetting their busted draw and u can earn big money on them like this. But be carefull sometimes they overbet when they hit too to get paid off.

[Chomp]

0evg0 and Machivelli gave me some good advise here on bluffing:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...=1#Post10175622 (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=10175622&an=0&page=1#Pos t10175622)

[Gelford]

Yes yes ... muah ha ha ha ha ... come ... sit at my table and reraise or call my overbets, please ... we will have sooooo much fun you and me .... muah ha ha ha ha

[Skleice]

Everybody says not to bluff at this level. But, my profits tell a different story. As a result of this forum, I've gotten much better at hand reading to know when my opponent is on a draw or is unsure about his second pair, etc. I've grown to become comfortable coming over the top in these situations with air (this is coming from an ex-nit). Now...I don't bluff the un-bluffable, and sometimes I get caught with my pants down, but my profits far out weigh my losses. Bluffing is all about telling a story...it has to make sense to your opponent....and it's fun.

[South Pole]

Like the bit about telling a story and making sense. Thanks.

[Shizzle12345]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes yes ... muah ha ha ha ha ... come ... sit at my table and reraise or call my overbets, please ... we will have sooooo much fun you and me .... muah ha ha ha ha

[/ QUOTE ]
u gotta spot these guys, yesterday i sat at the table with 2, i saw him overbetting his busted straight draw on the river and getting called down by a calling station. Then he did the exact same thing against me twice, i won nearly 2 buy ins off him. Im just saying its a very valuable read. Im not saying u should call everytime someone overbets the pot with 2 diamonds on the board.

[Skleice]

Here's a simple example. I'm first in...I raise 3xbb in late position with 67d. I get one caller in the big blind. The flop come KK4 rainbow. The bb leads out with a 3/4 size bet. Now I think "would he lead out if he had a K? (prob not...unless he's tricky - which is ironic). So, I'm not ready to quit. I think " what would I do if I had trip K's with no draws on the board against 1 opponent?". I call. Now a 10 comes, putting a straight/flush draw on the board. At this point, I'm thinking my opponent has a mid pair (77 or high A) that he tested on the flop. He leads out again, only this time, I raise. He folds. Look at it from his point of view. I raised pf...so I could easily have a K. I didn't push with trips against one opponent on the flop. Then when the board got scary, I took it down. My story made sense and he folded. Now, if this were multiway (I wouldn't even try), or he continued to call/bet...i'm done.