Semi-bluffing away

tardigrade · #1 07-08-2004, 11:18 PM

This table was relatively sane, but a bit weak post-flop, and I was often able to get folds from bluffs and semi-bluffs.

I didn't raise my AJ here, which was probably a mistake, but the player to my right (CO) was super-tight and was only coming in unraised with very good hole cards, so I got nervous about him in the pot.

Was I semi-bluffing at this one too hard, or about right? Should I have bet the river?

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is Button with J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
4 folds, MP3 calls, CO calls, Hero calls, SB completes, BB checks,

Flop: (5 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Hero bets, SB folds, BB calls, MP3 calls, CO calls.

Turn: (4.50 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (4 players)
BB checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Hero bets, BB folds, MP3 calls, CO calls.

River: (7.50 BB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (3 players)
MP3 checks, CO checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 7.50 BB
Main Pot: 7.50 BB, between MP3, CO and Hero.

gojacketz · #2 07-08-2004, 11:38 PM

With your read on the cutoff, I do not like a river bet here, it is unlikely that you get a better hand to fold and probably won't get a worse hand to call. Take the free showdown.

Gojacketz

skierdude1000 · #3 07-08-2004, 11:56 PM

With that last heart, it's worth a bet

StellarWind · #4 07-09-2004, 12:12 AM

You need to raise preflop. When MP3 and CO come limping in instead of raising you need to punish them when you get a good hand. It is an error to base your whole strategy around one player. What about the junk MP3 opened with? Why give free passes to the blinds? Remember that AJo is trying to win by building one pair. You cannot afford to hand out free plays when the hand you hope to make is so vulnerable.

Take a free card on the turn with the idea of calling the river when you don't improve. There are too many opponents to bluff and you could easily be checkraised.

I would bet the river and expect to be called by small hearts and one-pair hands. A higher heart would probably have bet the river because they can't depend on you to bet with four hearts on the board.

tardigrade · #5 07-09-2004, 12:27 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Remember that AJo is trying to win by building one pair. You cannot afford to hand out free plays when the hand you hope to make is so vulnerable.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like that way of looking at it. Very true. As it stands, CO was holding AK, but it would have been better to try to get the blinds out anyway.

[ QUOTE ]
Take a free card on the turn with the idea of calling the river when you don't improve. There are too many opponents to bluff and you could easily be checkraised.

[/ QUOTE ]

This makes sense. It would be a common play for the just-made flush to check-raise me and screw up my odds for getting the four-flush on the board.

[ QUOTE ]
I would bet the river and expect to be called by small hearts and one-pair hands. A higher heart would probably have bet the river because they can't depend on you to bet with four hearts on the board.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right again. With their holdings (they were all on straight draws on either end and none had a heart) they wouldn't have called anyway, but it's unlikely a higher heart would have let it check through.

Thanks ... all of this makes perfect sense to me.