Bluffing in multiway pots

Many players bluff very infrequently, if at all, in multi way pots. Somewhat correctly they feel that their loose opponents will pay off with anything, and thus it is nearly impossible to knock them out of a pot. They reserve bluffing for situations like betting the flop heads up or three handed (often bluffing with the best hand), or clear spots (turn check check river check you bet).

While it is important not to sacrifice bets when you are certain to get called down on there are a few spots where bluffing in large multiway pots can be worthwhile. These are almost always on the turn or river, and involve facing the field with two in order to make them fold a better hand. Naturally, these situations arise rarely because you need to
A) have the better beaten
B) have the better on your immediate right
C) have an opponent who has you beaten
D) have that opponent on your left, preferably with opponents left to act behind him.

While your opponents call liberally for any number of bets on the flop, and one bet on the expensive streets, if you have the proper table image and combine it with the "turn raise means monster" syndrome you can occasionally steal very large pots. Since your profit in poker fundamentally comes down to not the cards you get, but how you would play your opponents cards when he has your (and vice versa) in the long run, managing to steal a pot or two is going to greatly boost your win rate. It also feels delicious.

But on to a hand example.

Hero has AQo in the SB. 4 limpers, hero raises, BB and all limpers call.

Flop comes rags, all lower than 9. Hero checks, everyone checks.
Turn comes, a rag, lower than 9, nothing too connected (no 678 for example). Everyone checks to LAG button who bets. He may have turned a pair, or be betting his bottom pair from the flop, but it is unlikely he has top pair or middle pair since he checked through the flop. Of course he could have hit something substantial, and might even 50% or more have you beaten. None the less, in a substantial pot like this folding out a middle, buttom, or even top pair from everyone in the crowd is extremely profitable. You also have some equity if he has you beaten, and if he has a combo hand (pair + gutshot) he will often smarty "save" a river bet to your bluff. Heads up, or three handed it is often worth a bet on the river to steal, but that of course depends on your read of the oppponents.

Similiarily you can often bluff out weak players who definitely have you beat on the river when you have a lag betting the whole way. For example, you have J10h on the button. Weak tight player limps up front, super aggressive player raises, you cold call, everyone folds, weak tight player calls.

Flop comes AJ4 rainbow, weak checks, aggressive/maniac player bets, you call, weak player calls.

Turn comes 3, weak checks, aggressive/maniac player bets (could have you beaten, but would be betting regardless of if he had 44, K10, 99, 67s, etc. all of which are in his opening range), you call, weak player calls. The weak player definitely has a jack, a weak ace, or medium ace. He will probably fold the weak ace or the jack to a river raise. Note if the lag checks you should not desperation bet, just check and lose. The key is to face your opponents with two cold.

This tool, facing your opponents with two cold when you have the better beaten but are losing to someone in the field, which I call 'yoinking' a pot, is useful in rare situations and is something to always watch out for.

[jason_t]

Dear Noam,

I met you once. I told you that I liked the sweater you were wearing and I asked where you bought it from and you said "no comment" and that always confused me. Please help.

[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img],

Jason.

[Borodog]

Good post.

This is an important concept from O8 that I think translates well to hold'em, given the appropriate situation. In O8 this is generally known as "promo (short for promotion) raising." Promo raising can be especially useful in O8 because you needn't have the bettor beaten if you can confidently put him on the other side of the pot. You raise you 3rd nut to promote it to a winner by folding the 2nd nut on your side of the pot.

I use the promo raise most often in hold'em in unwanted pots with a "pick-up artist" to my right. For example, I'm in the BB with A8o. 4 players limp and I check. The flop comes K92, and it checks around. The turn is a 4, completing a rainbow. It checks to the button, who is a pick-up artist, i.e. he likes to pick-up unwanted pots in position (as well he should). He bets, I raise, all fold.