the pure bluff thread

[Guruman]

this is interesting. I find bluffing to be remarkably profitable - even at the micro level. It really is all about finding the right spots though. Bad bluffers bluff without a story or bluff when the other guy has his nails dug in. I don't think I have examples of that here.

fwiw I played a 784 hand session yesterday and these were the three pure bluffs I came up with (I was actively setting pure bluff hands aside in anticipation of making this post.) Thats a pure bluff rate of .3% of the hands I was dealt, which I felt was pretty disciplined. This of course is non-inclusive of standard cont bets and semibluffs on the flop with outs. In all there were 83 hands in which i put money in and then did not get to showdown for one reason or another. These three pure bluffs account for 3.6% of that range.

I didnt mention it, but none of the people I played against last night were classical calling stations.

does anyone see anything glaringly wrong on the technical side of these hands, or am I just getting chastised for the stakes I was playing at?

[Webster]

That third hand I think you are cookoo bananas LOL

Not saying you should NEVER bluff - it's all about table conditions. Bluff at Bodog and you will just get called by other people bluffing. I guess 50% flop tables it' harder to bluff.

If you are at a 30% table where people are playing scared - go ahead. And as long as you can GIVE UP on a bluff that is fine.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]

does anyone see anything glaringly wrong on the technical side of these hands, or am I just getting chastised for the stakes I was playing at?

[/ QUOTE ]

I wasnt even paying attention to the stakes, and I think hand 3 is terrible. If he folds its cuz he doesnt have [censored], and a much smaller raise than a giant overbet would have gotten him to do the same thing. If hes any decent at hand reading he should realize your hand is a total bluff, what exactly are you repping? There isnt a single hand that makes sense that you would play this way. You dont have a fullhouse because you wouldnt have checked the turn with 2 pair or a set on this board, and you dont have a flush because you wouldnt put in a huge c/r overbet once the board paired. Same with a naked 9. If it worked I think its only because he wasnt even attempting to hand read or he doesnt have anything that would have called a much smaller c/r.


I pretty much try to avoud pure bluffs, every solid player ive heard give advice either in books or CR videos talks about having at least a little something, which makes a lot of sense. the only time I'll do it is if I'm sure hes just on a better bluff than I am. A pure bluff is pretty exhilarating when it works tho, but ask youself are you doing it because you think its the most EV play possible, or just for the rush? Both of which are good enough reasons to do it, just so long as it fits in with what your goal for playing poker is. (for money, or for fun)