Semi Bluff Mastery is the Key Thing

[Dan Mezick]

Weak-tights just tell you what they have. LAGs are out of line. Tight-Aggressives typically will (predictably) go too far with hands they choose to play, if they are not tough.

I assert that the best semi-bluffers are the best overall players.

I assert that mastery of the semi-bluff (including good laydowns after such a bet) is THE essential skill because by definition, THIS skill incorporates mastery of a great many other very important and often quite subtle poker skills such as

<ul type="square">
Solid starting standards (by position and number of players),

Reading hands,

Choosing your victim,

Isolating him,

Ability to make tough laydowns,

Changing gears etc.
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How do you defend against the sophisticated and tough (capable of big laydown) semi-bluffer?

Because a wide range of hands are semi-bluff candidates from a wide range of seats.

Don't be quick to answer. Think about it for awhile and come back and vote.

I'm eager to examine the poker insight and opinion you may choose to post on this thread.

...

[Rotterdaum]

Sounds provokative
I just think that laydown mastery is THE essential poker skill. Every day I end up thinking that if I made just 2 big laydowns that weren't impossible to get away from, my day would turn a winner instead of a loser or a big winner instead of just a winner. This is NL mentality of course

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]

I assert that mastery of the semi-bluff (including good laydowns after such a bet) is THE essential skill because by definition, THIS skill incorporates mastery of a great many other very important and often quite subtle poker skills such as

<ul type="square">
Solid starting standards (by position and number of players),

Reading hands,

Choosing your victim,

Isolating him,

Ability to make tough laydowns,

Changing gears etc.
[/list]


[/ QUOTE ]

I believe that "reading hands" is by far the most important skill. Indeed, wouldn't it be extremely easy to show a large, long-term profit if we could literally see our opponents' cards? For if we could see our opponents' cards, we would: value-bet our better hands with impunity, have a very good sense of when it would be profitable to semi-bluff, and be in a position to pick off others' semi-bluffs. Since we can't actually see others' hole cards, we try to use all available information in order to "read" others' hands--after which we have some idea as to how play our hand.

[Sniper]

Dan,

Don't you think table/seat selection is more important?

Two extremes... one table your blinds are always attacked... on the other, the blinds always fold to your raises in LP... Your +/- BB/100 in these two cases are wider than your potential WR.

I agree that Laydown mastery is key since it incorporates many elements. A foundation in selective starting hands and position, the ability to read your opponents, and make appropriate odds calculations to make the overall best decision. It factors in every phase of the hand from deal to showdown, from the nuts to a stone cold bluff.

[Lash]

I agree that a deep understanding / feel for semi bluffing is important. I disagree that it is "the key thing" ...Remember...

A semi-bluff can win by getting better hands to fold, and also by improving to the best hand.

So...
-This play (semi-bluffing)comes up less often than we think. Sometimes we think we are semi bluffing when in reality... there is no chance our opponent will fold ... other times we have the best hand and are actually betting for value
-Semi bluffs only occur on the flop and turn. What about all the important Pre-flop and River decisions we need to have a deep understanding of?

[Brash620]

I was toying with this idea a couple days ago. After thinking about it I relized that semi-bluffing is greatly dependant on hand reading. Semi-bluffing is still bluffing, the only added benifit is that occasionaly when you get called you can make the best hand. You'll likely never push someone off a huge hand, you only want to use it when your flushdraw is up against top pair or some other simular situation.

I said no, because I believe it is impossible to semi-bluff appropriately without being able to correctly and consistently read hands and read players.

If you can't read players, you can't choose the right tables. If you can't read hands, you won't know when to bet, bluff, semi-bluff, or make that tough laydown.

Changing gears is also irrelevant unless you have a reason to do so, based on your read of your opponents. If you have been (semi-)bluffing a lot, some will notice, some will not. In the hand you are in at the moment, against this opponent, have they noticed you were (semi-)bluffing a lot? If not, get on with it. If so, you have to consider changing gears; which brings us back to people reading being a more important skill overall.

Without the ability to assess your opponents and their hands, the rest of your tools (semi-bluffs, value bets, bluffs, etc) may very well be completely off target on a regular basis.

[elmitchbo]

i think the semi-bluff is under used. it's the epitome of super system type play. another thing i've found interesting about the semi-bluff is it's tendency to artificially create calling odds.

e.g. you make a semi bluff with the nut flush draw on the flop. if your opponent comes over the top all-in you will usually have the right odds to draw 2 cards (unless stacks are very deep). that's a beautiful thing.

i say play solid draws like made hands. i like to bet 8 or 9 outs the same way i would a set.

[Dan Mezick]

Thanks for all the responses to the post.

Laydown mastery (by itself) certainly qualifies as a key skill for any player graduating from merely good to tough.

Certainly the practice of good laydowns can occur by itself, distinct from any attemped semi-bluffs.

Semi-bluffs well played ABSOLUTELY require the toughness to lay down what appears to be a good, winning hand when in fact it is not. The semi bluff requires laydown skill, but the reverse is not true.

This point about laydowns is also true about reading hands, reading tells, disciplined starting standards etc.

Consequently any semi-bluff attempt made without mastery of these other skills is likely lame, random, one dimensional.

Thus, mastery of the semi-bluff presumes mastery of all the other skills. These other skills can be practiced in isolation, while the semi bluff is a summing up of all the other skills, such as disciplined starting standards, truly tough but correct laydowns, etc.