Semi-bluff and bluff vs. very weak players

Excalibur 2-6 game. The game has NO "players" in it other than me. The opponent on my left is pretty darn loose and is super-easy to read. The opponent in the BB wears his tells like he wears his sweater. He has a big sign hanging around his neck that says what his hole cards are and what he intends to do about it. Very easy to beat game.


So I've got AJo and limp after two limpers. The opponent on my left (I'll call him "LLL") raises to 4. The BB calls and so do the limpers, 5 players.


The flop is Q T 6 rainbow. It's checked to LLL who bets only 4 (indicating to me he's not that strong). The BB calls and one of the limpers calls. There's $36 in the pot when I have to decide what to do. The implied odds more than cover the slight deficiency in current pot odds for calling for the gutshot, plus an ace might even be good, so I call the bet.


The turn is an 8, putting two clubs on board. This gives me a double belly-buster, as now an eight or a king gives me a straight. However, a flush draw is now possible, but that doesn't mean someone definitely has the clubs. I see this as a potential opportunity to pick up the pot with a semi-bluff. My opponents don't look very pleased with the eight, and the limper is already obviously planning to fold. I bet the max, $6. LLL looks at his hole cards and reluctantly tosses his cards into the muck. The BB hesitates but eventually calls the bet and the limper folds quickly. Heads up. I plan to bet the river no matter what comes.


The river is a brick. I bet and my opponent quickly folds.


This hand doesn't really show my stupendous prowess as a fearsome opponent, rather it shows that by simply paying attention and watching how my opponents play, I was able to capitalize on an opportunity to pick up a nice pot that I might not have otherwise won. Obviously, my logic may have been much different had I been playing against stronger or more sophisticated opponents.


Comments welcome.


Dave in Cali

what if it was a calling station who you know if they call the turn, will call the river with any pair? still bet? i run into this abit, and try to save the extra bet unless i have at least the mid pair.


just wondering about your thoughts on this...


thanks...

b

You played your opponents and not your cards. I love it! To me, this is how you make your money. I believe in the mathmatics of the game, but they don't mean as much if you can't read your opponents. Great play!

It's a darn good thing that I was not still in the game. I would have quickly rearised the max with the 72o that I would have been playing knowing that you were semi-blufing your belly buster. Just kidding. I wish I could have remained in that game longer because it was a real loose game that was extremely easy to beat. It is a good thing that he was ot a callig station but he also could have been on the same stright draw or even picked up the flush draw on the turn. Your excellent knowledge of your opponents and you being a super-genius won you a rather nice pot. You are definitely my hero and I hereby put you at the top of my list as super-genius of the year. See ya back in San Diego on Monday and good luck the rest of the trip.

I thought I mentioned in the post that I could read the last opponent really well and I was virtually certain he was on a draw and would fold the river when he missed, and that it would be obvious if he missed. Anyway, I'm sure your 72o play couldn't even begin to compare to the major tilting I put on one of those surly macho dudes that was in the game when I totally cracked his AQ with my Q9o when I purposely raised to eight preflop just because it was his blind and he was nearing tilt....


I'm not sure about all that praise, my ego is already collosal as it is so this is probably borderlining on dangerous, especially since I won $300 in the mirage 10-20 tonight!