importance of pausing when bluffing? NLTRN

[Crispy Bacon]

Not sure if I'm just imagining it helps, but I do it quite a bit.

Full Tilt Poker
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t25/t50
2 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
SB: t1005
Hero: t1995

Pre-flop: (2 players) Hero is BB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] T[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
<font color="#cc0000">SB raises to t100</font>, Hero calls t50 <font color="aaaaaa">(pot was t125)</font>.

Flop: 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (t200, 2 players)
Hero makes a long pause and mentally gives himself 45s/66. I've been playing fairly quick up until this point so hopefully villain is wondering why I'm thinking so long on this hand. Seeds of fear that I have a 4 and am figuring best way to make money from it being planted. Hero checks, SB fearing check raise checks.

Turn: 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (t200, 2 players)
Well my check-raise with 'flopped nuts' didn't work so I gotta bet for value (don't have to think about this so pretty quick now)
<font color="#cc0000">Hero bets t100</font>, SB calls t100
<font color="aaaaaa">(pot was t300)</font>.
Almost certain he's on overcards and he's now crapping himself
River: 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (t400, 2 players)
<font color="#cc0000">Hero bets t300</font> (pretty quick again), SB folds.
Uncalled bets: t300 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: t400

[LordMushroom2]

When bluffing you want the opponent to think you have a legitimate hand, so if you think pausing will make him think you have a good hand pause, and if you think betting quickly will make him think you have a good hand bet quickly.

[cwar]

Good players will generally pick up if you try and bluff quick, I think bluffing quickly is the natural tendency unless you have to figure out if you actually want to bluff. Quick means your acting strong, strong means weak pretty standard read.

[silver book]

Sometimes a your opponent will have decided hes going to call the river no matter what, but then a pause will allow them to think about thier hand and sometimes they'll decide to fold. IN this way, a pause can be effective

[ChicagoRy]

I try to take about the same amount of time when doing anything. I'll take longer if I'm stuck between a call and a fold on the river, since it doesn't matter.

Also, sometimes I'll pause a little longer for effect.

Once in awhile you notice somebody reacting to timing tells, or that he appears to, so then you can actually use them when you need them to influence his decision, but overall I doubt it comes into play all that much.

[DaycareInferno]

its probably a lot bigger of a deal in 5s and 10s than higher. i've folded a lot of hands i wouldn't have normally because of people taking a long time or requesting time in a situation that doesn't really warrant it. i guess that the big problem would be that in environments where there is a lot of silly acting, there's also less attention paid, so it might not be that effective unless you know your opponent puts in a lot of matches and is fairly perceptive.

[soop]

[ QUOTE ]
I think bluffing quickly is the natural tendency unless you have to figure out if you actually want to bluff.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've found that if people pause a tiny bit more than normal when first to act on the flop and then check, they almost always fold to a half pot bet (this is at the 20's and 30's). So I always bet if someone does this. My theory is they are deciding whether to make a donk bet with air and eventually decide against it.

Has anyone else noticed this or am I trying to read too much into it?

[ChicagoRy]

I notice this sometimes. Usually not enough of a factor to make me bet something I wouldn't otherwise.

But it definitely makes sense that people pause awhile (when they don't otherwise pause long) in spots where they want a check. I actually did this myself when I started playing.