Calling some bluffs

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of today’s article, I want to share a hand with you.

2008-03-05

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of today’s article, I want to share a hand with you. I was in the cutoff seat playing $2-$4 no-limit with K-J offsuit. Three players had limped in before me and it was my turn to act.. Both blinds were loose and were likely to call my raise which would prompt the 3 limpers to call as well. So since I didn’t fully see the value of raising there, I decided to just call and we saw the flop 6-handed. The flop Was K 10 6 rainbow so I had top pair. A young aggressive player, one of the limpers bet out a reasonable bet and it was folded to me. If he had a non-drawing hand, he probably had me outkicked, or had flopped two pair or a set of sixes. He wouldn't play K-9 or lower from early position, even suited, and would have raised with K-K or 10-10. I had to make a decision and folding wasn’t really an option. So I looked at the blinds to get some kind of read on them. The small blind was paying close attention but the big blind looked like he couldn’t fold fast enough. I decided that a raise would knock the small blind out and it did. The turn card was another 6, pairing the board. He bet half the size of the pot and I called. The river was a 3, filling a backdoor-flush draw. He bet again and I called.

He tossed his hand into the muck. He must have been open-ended with Q-J and missed. So why am I telling you this. I’m trying to show you that sometimes, it’s ok to allow your opponent to do the betting for you. What do you think? Well, my plan of action allowed me to make chips I wouldn’t have gotten if he had folded on the turn and I may have knocked out the small blind’s flush draw, giving me a better chance of winning the hand heads-up. Additionally, if a 9 or an Ace had hit on the river, I would not have felt compelled to pay my opponent off if he chose to value-bet me.

Most poker decisions have both positive and negative elements and a good player is one who is able to see the potential reward versus risk of aggressiveness vs. passivity. Ultimately, it is the accumulation of multiple small differences in expectation that distinguishes lifetime winners from lifetime losers. I like my play here. Be willing to call the bluff but don’t go overboard doing it when your hand is not all that strong.

Until next time, may the chips fall your way.

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