Randomizing Plays
 

Sklansky once wrote about using the time to randomize your bluffs and other plays. I.e. if you want to bluff re-raise in a certain spot one third of the time, check your watch. If the seconds are divisible by three (i.e. 3,6,9,12,15, etc) make your play, otherwise take a standard line.

This seemed like a good idea to me, but I've never read any discussion of pros actually using this technique. Is there a problem with it, i.e. will Diablo catch me checking my watch, deduce my randomization strategy and synchronize his watch to help him pick off my bluffs?

Re: Randomizing Plays
 

I have read about a few players doing it that way. I arbitrarily decide when to make a move. One problem with using your watch is that it's very hard to quantify a specific situation. How can you distinguish from a situation in which it's best to bluff 50% from one where it's best to bluff 33%?

Re: Randomizing Plays
 

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How can you distinguish from a situation in which it's best to bluff 50% from one where it's best to bluff 33%?

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that's not how you use the watch thing anyways, you are supposed to already have figured out the optimum bluffing frequency then use the seconds arm as a randomizer.

for instance, if you know your optimum bluffing frequency in a spot is 50%, then you may bluff during 1~30s. if it's 10%, you bluff 1~6s and so on.

I need to re-read ToP to understand how I could apply the proper bluffing frequency in NLHE. It is far more complicated to utlize it properly in NLHE then 2-7/A-5 draw games and I would like to use it at least to 1/2 the extent they are used in those lowball draw games.

Re: Randomizing Plays
 

I don't wear a watch.

The idea of optimal bluffing frequency is for games where the last card is hidden. In NLHE you should be thinking about your opponent's hand range and what hands he puts you on based on image, history and his level of thinking.

Re: Randomizing Plays
 

no wonder it was easier to use it in lowball drawgames lol. thanks for the information so I don't look like an idiot trying to incorporate the watch thing into NLHE.

Re: Randomizing Plays
 

See the aricle about randomizing your play at:

http://www.math.sfu.ca/~alspach/canpoker.html

Re: Randomizing Plays
 

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that's not how you use the watch thing anyways, you are supposed to already have figured out the optimum bluffing frequency then use the seconds arm as a randomizer.

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That's what I mean. I don't know how you can determine so precisely what the optimum bluffing frequency is in no-limit hold'em.