Playing with a pair on board

[Batman]

I read the Playing with a pair on board in HEPFAV. It states that this is a good bluffing opportunity. It tried it and it works sometimes. But it seems that nowadays most people know about this play, and alot of people try it. And I have realized that when someone flops a set, most people (probably over 85%) will just check and try to raise on the turn. The funny thing is that some players do the same thing everytime they get a set. So when these players bet on the flop, you know right away that they don't have a set, and if you have a legitimate hand, you can punish them for their aggressiveness. I realized that if I do flop a set, I'd rather just bet immediately, because other people would just think I'm bluffing, and I'd get more money in the pot anyway.

The chapter on Inducing Bluffs has saved/made me many bets. I do it when I'm heads-up, and the opponent gets surprised when I check on the turn.

[astroglide]

it's not much of an opportunity anymore

[nykenny]

since this "bluff the pair board" play is no longer a profitable bluff. it becomes now the opportunity to get paid off...

[turnipmonster]

that is an excellent point. sometimes I forget that bluffing is completely unecessary if I'm getting good action on my big hands already. bluffing into a paired board is very effective in big bet poker, but I it's never worked for me all that well in limit. it seems like limit bluffing is very player dependent in limit.

--turnipmonster

[Softrock]

The key of course is to keep your opponents off balance assuming you are against opponents who actually are thinking about your play at all.

Friday night at the Bellagio 30-60 I got a free play from the BB against one lone MP limper who was not quite a classic weak-tight player but tended to raise at the wrong times (I think in an attempt not to be a calling station). Anyway, I have 9 /images/graemlins/heart.gif3 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. Flop comes K /images/graemlins/heart.gif3 /images/graemlins/spade.gif3 /images/graemlins/club.gif.

I check and call MPs bet. Turn is a J /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. I was afraid he would check behind unless he had a King and might think I was bluffing if I bet, so I bet right out. Guess what, he raises!!! I re-raise, he calls, I bet the blank on the River and he pays me off and shows KTo.

Maybe I'll make this my default play (just kidding) - but the point is when you do something that is unexpected or hard to read then it's usually the right thing to do. When a pair flops and someone check-calls my bet and then bets into me on the turn, I often have a real hard time knowing how to proceed with my top pair, top kicker or something similar.