Just a fun hand (for me) from last night

[Zag]

I'm not really looking for input here, but I'll be glad to take it. I just enjoyed this hand so much, and felt so good about my read that I thought I would post it.

I’ve been playing at this Party $100 buy-in NLHE table for a bit, winning a little, and I have $160 in front of me. In middle position, I pick up Ah 3h, and one person calls the big blind before me. I limp also and LP, holding $140, limps after me. The SB, holding $90, completes his bet and the BB checks.

Pot has $10. Flop is Qh 7h 5c. Looks promising.

SB checks, BB bets $4, which is a candy-ass bet. First limper folds, I call, LP calls, and SB check-raises! However, he only raised to $10, which is another candy-ass play. I put him on a set or two pair. BB folds! I call and LP calls - I put him on a lesser flush draw. I am oddly sure of this, though I don’t know why - I don’t usually feel this confidant about a read. Pot has $44.

Turn is the very lovely 8h, giving me the current nuts. The SB thinks for a while, and I feel good about putting him on a set or two-pair: He has just become afraid of the flush. I know that if I bet and LP raises, we will lose him, so I click the “Check” advance action in order to give a false tell.

After more thought, he finally checks, so my advance action goes through and LP bets $25. SB thinks for a bit and calls, then I check-raise all in. I actually thought I would lose them both here, I mean, what else could I have for a huge check-raise here? But they BOTH called me.

River was a blank. LP had 9h Jh for the lesser flush (but praying for a Th to make a straight flush). SB had 55 for a set of fives. (Good thing the board didn’t pair.) I scoop a huge pot for a $230 profit.

[crockpot]

i've often wondered myself whether there are situations in NLHE, PLO or PLO8 where it makes sense to check the auto-check in turn box when i have a strong hand in a multiway pot, in order to give the impression that i was check/fold-ing.

i eventually decided that most online opponents don't pay enough attention to my actions, so i'd only use this ploy against an aggressive player behind me who will pounce if he sees weakness, or when i am going for a check-raise anyway. i've done this twice with top set in a PLO8 game, and both times i managed to get an opponent all-in, although i can't say what would have happened had i simply bet on the flop.

anyone else have thoughts on the merits of this ploy?

[Zag]

That was the first time I've used it in weeks. I think that the opportunities come up so infrequently that it is worth doing any time it makes sense. If you are planning to check-raise, I can't see that it does any harm. But I hardly ever check-raise, so it is infrequent that I have the time to think to do it in cases where I actually want to.

Of course, not wanting to be predictable, I soon after used the auto-check checkbox in a case where I was planning to fold or check and fold. The same player who was trapped with the small flush was one of the two people behind me, and they both checked behind. I don't know if they were remembering my earlier trap, or just planned to check, and I didn't pick up anything (and ended up folding on the turn), but a free card is always good.