strategy

I've been lurking here for a while an would like to ask a question regarding strategy and throwing in a bluff with bad cards.


I play the lower limit PP tables, and try and make it easy for the table to put me on a hand. I bet out top pairs, trips, fhs, and try and get as much money in the pot if I'm fairly confident I'm ahead. I find I'm most effective if others think they know what I have, and that they think I only play premium hands. Helps with my deception when playing top-pairs and draws.


I then find the table starts to fold my raises pre-flop. When that starts to happen I look for an opportunity to get caught bluffing. In MP or EP, I hope I get two low (under 7) suited cards, or connectors and then raise pre-flop. I choose these cards as I can often be the bad beat story -- and that's really memorable for the table. If there are no other raises, I then usually bet the flop as most often it's checked to me. About 50% of the time I check the turn with no bets, and bet the river.


I may have to do this once or twice or even three times, as I can win these pots about 25-50% of the time without having to show my cards depending on how much image I have at the time.


What do you think? Is it better to bluff with a semi-good hand say, K5o? I find that I'll lose that more often, as I'm tempted to play the hand as top pair, and then get beat by aces or a better k. Or is better to bluff in the blinds or LP? I find in these positions people suspect a steal, or a raise on table weakness, so it weakens the bluff.


Thanks for your advice in advance.

Magithighs

If you have a well earned tight image you should be looking for opportunities to GET AWAY with bluffs, not GET CAUGHT bluffing. Trust me, one stolen pot is worth a whole evening of marginal loose calls.


K5o is NOT a "semi-good" hand. Its a dog. Suited connectors make great semi-bluffing hands since you will fairly often flop a draw worthy of a steal attempt. Generally save your screwing around for late position, although raising UTG with 87s isn't all THAT bad. But you can do that by flat calling before the flop figuring to bet the flop no matter what if everybody checks to you. Blinds are tough since everybody knows you can have ANYTHING and that usually means nothing.


Yes, when playing low limit you should play straight forward as if to deliberately give away your hand. That is, a good player should be able to often put you on the correct hand. Get tricky against the good players once in a while.


Be careful not to get carried away with this.


- Louie

Thanks for the advice. If I understand correctly, you're sayng that advertising a bluff on purpose has little value.


I thought I would be encouraging people to call two bets cold on a draw because they think I don't really have top pair. Or they would raise my top pair bet and help me thn the field. However, in my limited experience (playing 3 months), I'm finding your advice to be correct. People generaly do those things without encouragement on the LL at PP. However, I did want a second opinion.


Btw, it's becoming clear to me that K(low)o is bad -- very bad. I now think to myself Kcrap, just to keep me away from those. I even try to stay away from A8o or lower. More often than not, I find I would have lost tons o money had I stayed in with those hands.


Thanks again.

I think that ANY offsuit hand that can not make a straight has little chance of winning, regardless of flop. Your only hope of Kxo is flopping KK. A9o at least has a reasonable (at best) chance of out kicking some one or making a fine two pair.


G.

Players at low limits on paradise don't even pay attention to what you do. Just play it straightforward.