Catching Bluffers

[PokrLikeItsProse]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
With a hand whose only value is bluff-catching, you have a very mediocre holding, perhaps something as weak as ace-high in Texas hold em. An aggressive player may (wrongly) bet too many hands on the end from the perspective of being a bad value bet or may bet something like bottom pair, thinking that he is bluffing when he actually has the best hand vs. your ace-high.

[/ QUOTE ]

The aggressive player may also actually be playing well by betting more than the weak-tight player. I know tight players who won't value bet a set if the board comes runner-runner flush. Yesterday I witnessed someone not bet 82o (big blind) on a board of 22J59 because she was convinced the person who called her down "had" to have the other deuce. A lot of excessively tight players won't value bet top pair, mediocre kicker, or an overpair even in situations where it is clearly correct to do so, where an aggressive player would.

[/ QUOTE ]

You notice that I did say "may." If you call too often with "bluff catchers" on the river against a stupid aggressive player, you could be making his bets mathematically correct, whereas they would be horrible value bets against a player who won't call down ace high or bottom pair.