20/40 semi-bluff into a naked bluff

[Gamblor]

mediocre live 20/40 game at Port Perry.

Opponent in this hand is a tight player who fancies himself a superstar. He laid down AA to a turn 3-bet and showed everyone earlier. He thinks a good amount before decisions on the turn and river.

I have Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] in the BB.

Folded to MP Opponent who raises lightly. Just a hint of nervousness/fear. I take this to mean mediocre hand from a tight player whose gambling but doesn't really want to. I call in BB.

2 to the Flop (4.5 SB): T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

I check, MP bets, I call.

2 to the turn: (3.25 BB): (T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]) K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

I check, MP bets, I raise, MP calls.

2 to the river: (7.25 BB): (T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]) K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

I bet.

Comments?

[xmrstyle]

I like the line. If you have not gotten out of line before, your tight opponent assumes you have a set or 2 pair on the turn. If he has any hand except for one with a king or a fullhouse as a thinking player(superstar) he can easily save this one bet here and show you something as good as AT or even QQ. If he reraises you can make a thinking (superstar) delayed laydown. My kind of play.

[andyfox]

I'd have played the flop more aggressively. The problem with raising the turn as a semi-bluff is that he's likely to see this as a spade semi-bluff.

[Zeno]

I agree with Andy.

Bet or Check-rise the flop.

Bet the turn in the dark.

-Zeno

[elysium]

hi gamblor
you're o.k. until the turn. when you make a semi-bluff check-raise, what you're trying to accomplish is getting a weaker hand to fold. semi-bluff check-raises are good when you have a medium pair to go along with your draw, but not when you have something like top pair and draw. the reason; now in the case of top pair and a draw, only a weaker hand will fold. this particular hand is far from a stellar semi-bluff check-raise candidate. you have no pair and some of your outs are tainted. this doesn't mean that semi-bluff check-raising is wrong here, it's just that you need to be a little more confident than usual about the prospects of getting the fold, and gamblor, you just don't have them in this hand.

you see, without a pair, and much uncertainty about whether or not the pre-flop raiser will fold his bona fide raising hand on that board with 2 broadway cards on, you are better off calling the turn. if the flush card hits that gives you a straight but also puts a completed flush out there, you will have to invest the maximum if your opponent does have the flush. now, the little problems with this hand don't seem like very much; it still has good potential; but when when you have a hand with a problem here and there and now there, you are better off allowing it to improve at minimal cost, and keep your cost rock bottom.

on the river, you should not bet. your opponent has called the semi-bluff check-raise on the turn, it's over. once he calls, you need a pair to showdown. you will not fold him out by betting into him on the river.

this hand is a poor choice for the semi. calling one bet on the turn, however, is fine. when your hand has little nagging problems that seem like lots of little nuisances only, nothing major, you have a weak hand. if you play these hands passively, and save your strong moves for when you enter in with the goods and flop only reasonably, you will find it easier to outplay your opponents and you plays will have a greater rate of success.

[Zele]

Check-raise the flop (or maybe bet out). I don't like the call at all. The pot is small, and there's a good chance you overcards are no good if you hit them. Better to win it right there, and if you get called and the turn comes K you can push the semi again.

[bernie]

A tight player who raises lightly? Hmmm. Ok

Since it's live, how did he call the turn? The river card is a decent bluff card on the end since you could be representing a K on the turn. That said, given this player, he could easily be calling down so you may want to save the river bet. Depends on your read. Some will see the river thinking they'll get the free showdown as many dont fire the last barrel in this spot.

Another way to play it that my throw him off is to bet out on the turn, then bet the river. To me, this looks a little more like you have a K and were afraid to get it checked through. It says your strong, but not strong enough for a c/r.

b