a fun and different way to pick up those unwanted pots

[muzungu]

Hey all-
Won a nice little pot just now with a line that I hadn't really thought about or used before. I was happy with the play, and thought I'd pass it along/see what y'all thought.

So: 1/2 Party. I've got A9 /images/graemlins/club.gif in LMP. I limp after one limper, either CO or button limps, SB completes, BB checks. 5 to the flop.

Flop: 8 /images/graemlins/club.gif 6 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif. Checked to me. Looks like no one's too excited about the flop, but there are 4 other people in the hand, so I'm not to excited about stealing. I check.

CO bets $4. Folded to me.

Well, I dont think he has anything. I guess I could checkraise, but if he calls with a flush draw etc. he has position on me and I'd have to fire again or lose momentum.

So: I call, planning to bet out or c/r at any overcard. (The "score! now I have a pair!" play).

Turn: offsuit K. Wasn't sure about this part: c/r or bet out? Going for the c/r seemed more convincing. Plus, this still gives me the option to bail if he springs to life.

He checks.

River: offsuit T. I lead out for $15 and he quickly folds.

Ok, its very possible I had him beat at the end, but I'd make this play just as easily with J9 as A9.

Whaddya think? I check the flop, he does the dirty work knocking everyone else out, then I call and knock him out later. You like?

-muz

[edtost]

unfortunately, the people i play live with have picked up on this; i've been doing it for a while. i call it "drawing to a bluff".

[scrub]

It's right up there with another classic Tower game play. The "bluff call." This is when a player with no pair and worse than K high calls a large river bet because he thinks the other guy is bluffing. After analyzing his results for a few weeks, Ed phased out his use of the "bluff call" in favor of "drawing to a bluff." The only problem is when "drawing to a bluff" conflicts with "the Shaka principle." /images/graemlins/smile.gif

scrub

[muzungu]

ok, i'll bite... what's "the Shaka principle"? Dare I ask?

-muz

[scrub]

Shaka is a regular in our game. He's never met a flop he didn't want to see. Or a pair he didn't want to show you.

Thus, the Shaka principle: "The first rule of playing with Shaka is, never bluff Shaka."

God, now I want to go play in the Tower game instead of pretending to work on my presentation for tomorrow. By which I mean massively increasing my volume of twoplustwo posts...

scrub