BLUFFING part 1

[MikeMcQ1]

What do you guys think of this statement:

If you never bluffed in a STT, you could be doing just fine

I don't know if my frequency of bluffing is good or not, of course I'm not randomly picking hands to throw down a bluff either. But either way, I often wonder if I ever really need to bluff in a Single Table Tournament. I'm not talking about c-bets, HU play, or bubble pwning opportunities, but rather early game "deep" post flop bluffs.

Sometimes I see a situation and think, hmmm, could be a good spot to try to win the pot, but then not follow through. Or follow through and win and wonder if it really was a good play, or lose and wonder if it was a good play.

I'm going to throw some hands out for some criticism. Not all these hands I actually followed through but wondered if it was a good spot.

Here's the first....
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No reads...

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Button (t1500)
SB (t1500)
Hero (t1500)
UTG (t1500)
MP (t1500)
CO (t1500)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, SB completes, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t80</font>, SB calls t60.

Flop: (t160) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t120</font>, SB calls t120.

Turn: (t400) 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks.

River: (t400) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets t200</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t600</font>,

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If anyone has wanted to get some advice on an attempted bluff, but didn't want the scorn and wrath of the forum brought upon them, PM me the hand and I'll post it and take the heat. Bluffs can be sort of a personal part of your game that you don't want other players knowing about.

[AMT]

mike, i want some advice on this situation, tell me if i can bluff:

I GOT TEH SHEEZIES IN TEH CUTOFF, NITTY DUDE RAISES IT BIG. HOLD EM O' FOLD EM?


anyways, a couple of things to consider about this hand:

-does he ever fold a good part of his river-betting range? (i would think he does)
-if he does, and his range is wide enough, but you never fold out a better hand, is there value in calling&gt;raising? Remember, every draw missed, so ace high actually does have some showdown value. You (or whoever's hand this is) has to decide if that showdown value offsets the profitability of potentially being able to fold out most of his river betting range here, and if you want to put this many chips at risk early to a point that raising is indeed better than calling (or folding of course).
- are the risks associated with calling and losing or raising and getting called worth it here, all things considered? after all, you can only beat a bluff (which he could certainly plausibly have here), so is your call really worth it given the table situation and the hand dynamic? early most argue that it isnt because of how much risk we take in a spot like this, but with a read and the way the hand actually played out, there can certainly be a weighted hand range towards draws and weak hands here to a point that calling or raising may both be more profitable than folding with a read.

personally, i think in a 6 man SNG that there is definitely a good case to be made for a call or raise (and yes, obviously you can still fold, not refuting that folding is standard), and i think its close but i like the line and id probably raise in game because i dont think villains are smart enough to check a small pair here and bet jack high.

[wiggs73]

what are you representing?

[AMT]

[ QUOTE ]
what are you representing?

[/ QUOTE ]


sorry, i meant, id like a read that hed lead wide here, but because of the way these games play, i assume i can easily represent a king and fold out any part of his range that is worse than top pair after the way the hand played out.

the contrast is that some villains just wouldnt lead worse than a king if they have any type of worse made hand, so youre looking at a king or a bluff, which is why calling and folding look more attractive than raising by far with that assumption.

[AMT]

and after talking more with wiggs, to further discussion:

if you raise river with your AK/KQ (the made hands that youre representing), then it looks more sexayyy to rayaise.

[DevinLake]

[ QUOTE ]
what are you representing?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is obviously a very valid question (although it reads more like a statement to me.) But....

Against 95% of the opponents you will play, the answer is "it doesn't matter.".

Most player play the value of the hand, and even if it enters their mind that a bet doesn't make sense they still don't pull the trigger and call.

If somone calls down here with like 3rd pair, it's more likely just because they are a calling station than they actually thought your bet made no sense and therefore is a bluff often enough to justify a call.

ps. Hero having a K here is very believable.

[TruFloridaGator]

I have issues with how much to raise. I'm always worried about being called in the above situation &amp; losing those 600 chips is more important than winning the dead 600 in my mind.

[marand]

[ QUOTE ]
what are you representing?

[/ QUOTE ]

Would you raise the river if you had AK?
If yes... that is what you are representing. If you would only call with AK on the river, then you are representing a bad bluff [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Eagles]

Everyone who's saying would you raise the river with AK/KQ Its sort of relevant but if your range for getting here is AK/KQ/No pair you shouldn't bluff that much vs a good hand reader.

[Gramps]

Just make sure to try and play 77/99 this way too.