Do You Like This Bluff?

[Usagi_yo]

I respect then the fact of the read. I don't make plays like this -- or rarely do. I play with opponants that basicaly are incapable of folding and when I put my money in, I'm very likely ahead. I usually consider how much interest I have in the pot (my money in the pot)before I proceed on hands. Seemingly big hands marginalized because of the board texture are quickly mucked when I have less then $40 in the pot and the betting looks like it's going to be big. I'm going to give up pressing small edges like 52-48 hands and use that money to leverage the 60-40 and above hands. Building a big stack to use during those big edge hands is more important to me -- particularly in those max buy-in NL games.

[quix0tic]

No, I dont like your bluff. I am a very proficient loose agressive and would try to find a better spot to get my money in. I don't mean to imply you are good here (obviously), I mean if you want to run over weak tights, it can be done better. There are spots I pure bluff that work like 90% of the time. This one might be like 35% (admittedely pulled that out of my ass) after the turn call. This kind of bluff also works better in position when you have more information. People frequently bet the ace for value on a 4flush board out of position, hoping for a lower flush to pay off. A check would make it much more likely that your bet would take it down here.

A good general principle of playing LAG is that you are looking to push people off weak hands much much more than by representing huge hands against significant holdings. This adjustment was quite friendly to my bb/100. If your read is a flush (seems very likely), the play is give up on the turn.

[Cornell Fiji]

[ QUOTE ]
A good general principle of playing LAG is that you are looking to push people off weak hands much much more than by representing huge hands against significant holdings. This adjustment was quite friendly to my bb/100. If your read is a flush (seems very likely), the play is give up on the turn.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like this comment. I haven't thought about the art of LAGging precicely this way before. I have run into some hands recently in my homegame where I have tried to represent a big hand in hopes of knocking people off of the big hands I know that they have and have found this to be quite the losing proposition. Good post.

To the OP. I don't hate the bluff as much as the others but feel that it is probably a -EV play but given a favorable read (which you had) I would make this play sometimes. I think that you ran into trouble with the way you played on earlier streets. I would have raised pf (at least knock out the blinds and give yourself the ability to put people on hands, then again I raise pf nearly every time I am first into a pot,) and lead out on the flop (I hate the c/r bloating the pot out of position.) By the turn you are in trouble and make a desperation bet that is bigger than you want it to be (bc of your checkraise) and his call with position doesnt give you that much information. This brings you to the river, I have no idea why you had your read but given he will lay down a non A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] most of the time it is the right play. I dont think that assumtion should be made but it is one that you did make so it was a good bet.

-Steve

[Ionphore]

I think the best insight you get as to the villains holding (given the fact the pot is unraised) is that he makes a weak flop bet in position, and flat calls your checkraise. I don't see what you can put villain on but a flush draw here. 2 pair pops it back up, and a set would commonly come over the top as well. Given this information, I would slow down on the 3rd spade. Check raising out of position, and then being first to act on the next street when the draw comes is a really hard spot. I think its so instinctual to bet, and psychologically you feel weak if you check, but you should get over that bs in my opionon. I am not sure if i play preflop and flop like you did, but given the action i am willing to check fold the turn. If he checks behind then you have done some pot management and may get to a cheap showdown possibly on a nonspade river.