Is not bluffing a leak?

#1 10-13-2005, 02:19 AM

I am TAG. I do not bluff, though i rarely semi-bluff. I am also in the red. Is this a leak?

trumpman84 · #2 10-13-2005, 02:25 AM

What do you mean by not bluffing? If you aren't betting hands like AK or AQ when you miss or if you aren't making continuation bets in a heads up pot after raising, then yes I believe this is a leak. The way I play, if I raise before the flop, the pot is now my pot and I am there aggressively trying to win the pot whether I hit or miss.

PITTM · #3 10-13-2005, 03:25 AM

you arent a "tag" if you dont "bluff" to some degree...

rj

adios · #4 10-13-2005, 03:26 AM

......

Petteri · #5 10-13-2005, 03:34 AM

If you do not semi-bluff, it is a big leak. If you never try to steal pot no-one is interested in, it is a leak.

You really cannot win any higher limits if you do not semi-bluff.

I.e if you raise pre-flop, get only one caller and have position, you should bet flop and turn no matter what you have if you do not get raised. That is standard heads up play.

You should also play your draws very aggressively against 1-2 opponents.

Only betting values is called weak-tight play.

Wally Weeks · #6 10-13-2005, 04:43 AM

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Only betting values is called weak-tight play.

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He may be tight and aggressive, but he sounds like a rock post-flop. This may have less impact on online play, but not giving action when you don't have the best hand on a current street may result in less edge. Observant opponents will see that you are a rockish ABC type of player. Even bad players can make some reasonable observations. "Oh, he only bets out on the flop after a preflop raise when an Ace hits. Thus he probably has an Ace with some other big card."

But I agree with others. In order to win at poker, you need to make some uncomfortable plays at the pot occassionally. Raising on the turn as a semibluff make some people feel icky.

#7 10-13-2005, 04:57 PM

Am i right in these defintions:

1) Betting for value is when you bet only if you have strength and you believe you can win
2) A bluff is when you believe you wouldn't win if the other person called you, but you bet because they have a decent probability of folding
3) A semi bluff is when you believe you wouldn't win, but have a small chance of drawing into a winning hand, and the other persons have a decent probability of folding

Right now I am ONLY doing #1. Are #2 and #3 profitable? I read somewhere that bluffing is -EV.

Also, you mostly bluff/semibluff only on flop and maybe turn right?

winky51 · #8 10-13-2005, 05:13 PM

Ummm, yes. Course not sure what limit you play.

Remeber bluffing at the right pot you only need to succeed once in a blue moon. if the pot is offering 6:1 on your bluff you only need to succeed 17%+ of the time to show a profit.

The more hidden advantage is that if you get caught, you get repaid later for that bet. Someone will call you down when they think "he's bluffing again" at a time they might have not if they knew you don't bluff. But since you can't read people's minds you never know when they are calling you, when you have the hand, in a situation they normally would not but are because they saw you bluff before.

I think that made sense.

winky51 · #9 10-13-2005, 05:14 PM

I love that shaky boob pictures, Mmmm Mmmm

winky51 · #10 10-13-2005, 05:23 PM

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Also, you mostly bluff/semibluff only on flop and maybe turn right?

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NOPE! Totally depends. Lets say I am the BB and I have some crap hand like 52 and all I got is a gut draw and a low board. But on the board there is 2 flush and I have 1 other player that called middle position. I bet here since its reasonable I have those crap cards. Now lets say I sense he is on a draw (flush OR Ace high trying to hit the gut wheel) well on the river you can bet again if you know this player is on the draw. If you check his ace high wins.

This happens rarely as a player just calling down with ace high will usually call the river too "just in case your bluffing" and the only player calling there is a fish. Low cards I got 2 overs and a draw, raise baby raise.

So it depends. I have bluffed into 3 player before betting 1st on the turn that checked the flop all around out of the BB. A36 rainbow and I have 54 and everyone checks the flop. Well none have the ace, and most likely no one has the 3 or 6. If the late player had a pair they would probably bet the flop so....

Also consider the players and position. 1 TAGish come in from EP and MP and 2 average players comes in from the CO, well you know the TAGish doesnt have the ace 6 or 3 or hed bet. Also if he had an ace, assume good kicker, and he would have raised preflop. If the fish had the ace they would bet. Board pairs 3s on the turn, Im betting.