Chronic bluffers in short-handed games.

[BoxLiquid]

Hi all and good day. Got a few questions for the good short-handed players. You're on the button with AK (suited or unsuited). You raise against 2-3 players that love to bluff and they call. Bunch of rags flop and you see a flop of 644. What the hell do you do when they <font color="blue"> ALWAYS </font> come out betting on flop and turn?? If they caught a card and you didn't hit anything your odds and implied odds are not good enough to continue. What do you do against these type of players? If there is any book or material out there that helps you with this problem please direct me to it! Oh and these are small stakes players from .50/1 to 2/4 [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Bluffoon]

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Hi all and good day. Got a few questions for the good short-handed players. You're on the button with AK (suited or unsuited). You raise against 2-3 players that love to bluff and they call. Bunch of rags flop and you see a flop of 644. What the hell do you do when they <font color="blue"> ALWAYS </font> come out betting on flop and turn?? If they caught a card and you didn't hit anything your odds and implied odds are not good enough to continue. What do you do against these type of players? If there is any book or material out there that helps you with this problem please direct me to it! Oh and these are small stakes players from .50/1 to 2/4 [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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So you raise and three players call. If someone bets out and you are first to act that is nine small bets to you. You def have odds to call. Not that calling is always correct.

Not only that but these guys love to bluff so you may have the best hand. I will often raise in this spot. At least get it heads up where your ace high has a good chance to win.

So If I am first to act after the better and I am going to play I will usually raise. If there are already a couple of callers and I am going to play I will usually call.

[BoxLiquid]

Makes sense. thanks a lot <font color="green"> Bluffoon </font> . So do you usually even raise when there is two of the same cards on the flop?? Like a 377 flop. Since the callers and especially the small stakes limit players love to defend their blinds (Irrationally and rationally). And there is a probable chance that one of these guys are holding that 7 card. What would be your strategy with this kind of flop?

[ZBTHorton]

Probable chance? Hardly.

[Bluffoon]

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Makes sense. thanks a lot <font color="green"> Bluffoon </font> . So do you usually even raise when there is two of the same cards on the flop?? Like a 377 flop. Since the callers and especially the small stakes limit players love to defend their blinds (Irrationally and rationally). And there is a probable chance that one of these guys are holding that 7 card. What would be your strategy with this kind of flop?

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It is much more likely that everyone missed a paired flop especially if it is not a premium pair so I would be more likely to raise. Have you read SSH? There is a great chapter in there about playing overcards that includes some great advice on how to evaluate flops.

[BoxLiquid]

Hey <font color="green"> ZBThorton </font>. Nice to meet you. Everytime I am holding some great hand I always get paranoid that I'm drawing dead against these chronic bluffers. Like flops with 2 of the same rank of cards (ex. 377). When you play short-handed do you just play on like no one is holding that third card most of the time? Or is this one of those problems where you really just have to know your opponents??

[BoxLiquid]

thanks <font color="green">Bluffoon </font>. Yea, I just got SSH. Haven't read through the whole thing yet. Just out of curiosity how long have you played Poker and what stakes do you play <font color="green"> Bluffoon </font>? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[ZBTHorton]

Well. I'm not real sure what you mean by "Chronic Bluffers". I'd say about 95% of the hands I play, if not more, never involve complete bluffs.

However; in reference to your question. If we're talking about 3-7-7, if your opponent is showing alot of strength on this flop, he either has an overpair, or a 7. So evaluate your hand accordingly.

If I have aces in this spot, I raise any bet he makes on the flop, if he 3 bets I slow down a little. If he calls, I hit the aggression button again and keep going.

The key to playing short handed is aggression, and being able to apply that aggression through the reads on your opponents.

[Bluffoon]

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thanks <font color="green">Bluffoon </font>. Yea, I just got SSH. Haven't read through the whole thing yet. Just out of curiosity how long have you played Poker and what stakes do you play <font color="green"> Bluffoon </font>? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

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Your welcome BL and welcome to the forums. I have played online poker for almost two years and I play full ring 3/6 and 5/10 at party and shorthanded from 2/4 to 5/10 at pokerstars and party.

[Girchuck]

If they often bluff, you have to include the chance that your hand is best in the pot odds calculations. If your hand is best, you have about 40 outs against a random non-pair hand (ofcourse you have to hit your outs twice). Sure, some small number of times you will be drawing dead, but if many times they will bet your best hand for you, you will come out ahead. Even if a person is not a habitual bluffer, you cannot assume he hit trips every time he bets a paired flop.