Re: Is not bluffing a leak?
 

You can make #2 float if you study your opponents. At low limits, wait and see if a player is capable of dropping when you push, then you can bluff him occasionally. Also, if an opponent plays predictably after a while of watching him, bluffing may be of use. Without information, it is okay to never do #2. Also, taking a #2 with two or more people in the pot can be a mess.

And, of course, if you are betting a non-winner show it off.

Re: Is not bluffing a leak?
 

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1) Betting for value is when you bet only if you have strength and you believe you can win

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Not quite. You are betting for value whenever you will win often enough to make money off of your bet. For instance if you have a flush draw (and will make your draw 1/3 of the time) you are making a value bet if 3 or more people call your bet - even though you'll lose the hand 2/3 of the time.

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Right now I am ONLY doing #1. Are #2 and #3 profitable? I read somewhere that bluffing is -EV.

Also, you mostly bluff/semibluff only on flop and maybe turn right?

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Look at it this way:
Suppose you're at a table where everybody bets when they have a hand and folds when they don't. The best hand always wins and nobody has an edge. Over time, the cards will even out and everybody will win the same amount.

However, if you can win just a few pots where you didn't have the best hand, you can gain an edge. In order to win pots without having the best hand, you have to bluff.

Fortunately, at SS there are a lot of people who don't bet with good hands and/or fold with bad ones, and you can probably win at 2/4 without ever bluffing just because your opponents are making so many unforced mistakes. But at higher limits, you're going to have to force your opponents to make some mistakes, and you do this through misrepresenting your hand - i.e. bluffing, slowplaying, and sandbagging.

Bluffing too much is -EV. But bluffing too little is -EV as well, and substantially so. You are getting bluffed off pots where you have the best hand. If you don't bluff at least enough to compensate for the best hands you're folding, then you'll have to make up the difference purely through opponents unforced mistakes, and that's a steep uphill battle.

Re: Is not bluffing a leak?
 

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Also, taking a #2 with two or more people in the pot can be a mess.

And, of course, if you are betting a non-winner show it off.


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IMO, both of these statements are bad advice.

Re: Is not bluffing a leak?
 

I'm playing 50cent/1doll on PP.

Re: Is not bluffing a leak?
 

This should be posted in micros as people will be more familiar with how those limits play. IMO though if you are in the red at those limits it is not b/c you aren't bluffing enough. Find tables with bad players. Bet and raise when you have good hands. That's pretty much all you need to do to make money there.

Re: Is not bluffing a leak?
 

With two or more people in the pot, bluffing (not semibluffing) should be done with adquate knowledge. Note I am not saying don't bluff 2+ people, just do it at the right circumstances. Furthermore, I think a person who is not bluffing, but wants to start doing so, should practice more against one opponent than against 2 than against 3, etc.

Now I find it intriguing that you disagree with showing a bluff. To clarify, I don't mean do it everytime, but at least do it the first time so that you get paid off more with value bets.

If I am still wrong, let me know how.

Re: Is not bluffing a leak?
 

seriously, based on this post and the other recent ones I've seen from you, I think you should drop limits and play some 6max. (Use the search and find a good method for learning 6max.)

It's still poker, but puts a huge emphasis on post flop play and reading opponents. Just playing the right hands and doing fit or fold will not work.

Re: Is not bluffing a leak?
 

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Now I find it intriguing that you disagree with showing a bluff. To clarify, I don't mean do it everytime, but at least do it the first time so that you get paid off more with value bets.


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Of course this is just my opinion, but I prefer my opponents to play as straightforwardly as possible. I really don't mind if they're aggressive even, as long as they're consistent. When I show my bluffs it does two things I don't like:
1) it makes people pay more attention when I'm in the hand because showing bluff cards tends to get people's attention,
2) it encourages people to play back/take shots at me because they know I might be on a bluff.

I would rather miss a few value bets because people give me credit for a hand than be placed in a few tough spots that might cost me the entire pot because people think I'm bluffing.

Re: Is not bluffing a leak?
 

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And, of course, if you are betting a non-winner show it off.

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What benefit does it give you?

Re: Is not bluffing a leak?
 

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Also, taking a #2 with two or more people in the pot can be a mess.

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I know what you mean. I ran that at summer camp. Far more messy than you let on.