A Once-Every-Three-Months Play to Add to Your Arsenal

[W. Deranged]

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting idea - Main worry would be some fish in 2/4 might call 2 cold with A9 in this spot while there will be some cases Villain has something like 45 suited and a harmless looking 6 on the river could end in disaster.

[/ QUOTE ]

Obviously this play is high variance, but the pot has gotten big enough that this I think this is worth doing against the right opponent. It's pretty dangerous if some of the intermediate players are fish and might call a few cold. This works particularly well on board which are paired and full of low cards. It is also important to be sure that the last position villain sort of knows what he's doing and: 1) is actually making a free card play and not just making a pussed-out check on the turn; 2) has decent enough starting requirements that he is unlikely to have made a shitty pair on the river.

[TheHammer24]

Sweet play. I did this once three handed at a 2/4 game and everyone told me it was a terrible play. Maybe if I was as cool as derranged people would like when I do it. The play works, naturally, much better when a thinking player is the last to act and is very capable of folding to 1 bet.

[GoodOL]

Hmmm...interesting play. I'm not sure what hand you are bluffing though? If the guy is on a busted flush draw, a call works too. I think you get two folds by weaker hands, or a call by a hand that beats you (what hand will either player lay down...if they are typical players who can't lay down any kind of hand...one of them will call, putting you on AK like many do). Looks like a -EV play to me.

[W. Deranged]

The idea is that the last position opponent is very likely to be on a busted draw. You cannot just call though, and allow opponents behind you to make weak crying overcalls with bad pairs. So you raise to ensure that all you have to do is beat the last position bluffer.

Both times I've tried this play the last position player has folded. The thing is, you're not really bluffing him; you are raising because you have him beat a majority of the time and need to bluff all other possible callers.

W: is it relevant that the river card pairs the board?

[GoodOL]

"You bet the flop, get one or more callers, and the villain in the last position raises. Everyone calls."

I made the assumption there were two other players in the hand. However, with more players, the greater the liklihood you get at least one call. It all depends on the opponents...most will call with any pair...since so many players put a preflop raiser on AK (especially when the preflop raiser just calls a flop raise and checks the turn...you would three bet the flop with an overpair to try to knock out everyone...or perhaps call and bet safe turn card). I think over the long haul...that play will lose money (i.e. everyone folds weaker hands or call with better hands). So...good idea to only do it once every three months.

[WDC]

I have done that exactly once and it worked perfectly. Folded another AK and the missed flush. never really had the opportunity to try it again.

[alul]

Very interesting. I'll post the hand after I have the opportunity to try this play.

[W. Deranged]

[ QUOTE ]
W: is it relevant that the river card pairs the board?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not really, but I think it helps. Both times I've done this the board was paired.

The reason it helps is that some opponents might think that your check-raise means you have trips or a full house. The other very nice feature of the board pairing is that it means there are fewer cards that your opponents could have that make pairs.

I disagree with one earlier comment that suggests that all opponents will call with all pairs here. Maybe at the very, very lowest levels, but once you reach like 3/6 online or 10/20 live (or even a bit lower), most players are clued in enough to not always call the river with anything, particularly when you make it two bets. The nice thing is, they won't realize that you river raise is almost totally implausible.

[JerseyTom]

I try this play about 2-3 times per session at 2/4... Is this a leak? [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]