[elindauer]

Oh man. The fact that you post these as semi-bluffs casts serious doubt on your poker logic.

First of all, a definition: semi-bluff, a bet or raise with a hand that isn't like to be best (hand 1), but which has some chance of improving to the best hand.

And some poker logic: a semi-bluff makes sense when you have some chance of winning the pot right there (hand 2).

Hand 1:

Your play is fine, but not a semi-bluff. Look, you may well have the best hand, but it is exteremely vulnerable and the pot is big. You raise to knock out overcards, knowing that if you are behind (probably to the bettor who will not fold a better hand to your reraise on this 2 flush board) you still have plenty of outs. There's very little chance that your raise wins the pot right there, so classifying it as a "semi-bluff" is wrong. It's a protect the best hand raise.

Hand 2:

You have no chance to win immediately, so once again raising as a "semi-bluff" makes little sense. You could argue that your raise is for value with so many callers, but I'd say just calling is best. Your reraise certainly deceives them when the flush arrives... they put you on top set, which they also can't beat!


Start over.

my 2 cents.
Eric