Bluffing at LL O/8

[iblucky4u2]

Who says it is impossible to bluff at low limit O/8? Most of the time it is, but I wanted to point to two hands that came up recently, one that was not, but should have been a successful bluff and one that was successful. Both occurred in Florida with each betting round $2.00.

First the NOT - With a final board of QJ86Jr, the original better, a total maniac who has been shown to bet and raise on absolutely nothing, has been betting from the get-go. I had AJ42 and felt that when the J hit on the river, I had him. The maniac bet out and I was next and raised to get out the str8s. Two folded and the only other player left, also totally clueless, went into the tank. He finally threw his $4 into the pot. The maniac made it 3 bets and I folded, knowing that the clueless one would call. Sure enough, the maniac showed KJTx for 3 Js. The clueless one showed 79 [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]. The bluff would have won a decent pot had the clueless one even saw past his own hand.

The second bluff actually worked. Playing at a table where I had a fairly tight image I know it's unusual for me but I've been running salty and tightened up my game), I felt this play would work. The flop was J52r and was bet and raised. I called with As34x on the button. The turn was a Q (J52) giving me the nut flush draw to my supper low draw. UTG bet out again and I raised on the button. I got two looks from solid players and they asked if I liked the Q. I said "I love it" but they called anyway, along with 2 others. The river was another J which was checked to me. I bet and all folded, including the hand with Jacks full, because he "knew" I had pocket Qs.

Strange game O/8 [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Yads]

Nice bluff on the 2nd one. The only time I find that bluffing works in O8 is when there's no low possible.

[pergesu]

[ QUOTE ]
Who says it is impossible to bluff at low limit O/8? Most of the time it is, but I wanted to point to two hands that came up recently, one that was not, but should have been a successful bluff and one that was successful. Both occurred in Florida with each betting round $2.00.

First the NOT - With a final board of QJ86Jr, the original better, a total maniac who has been shown to bet and raise on absolutely nothing, has been betting from the get-go. I had AJ42 and felt that when the J hit on the river, I had him. The maniac bet out and I was next and raised to get out the str8s. Two folded and the only other player left, also totally clueless, went into the tank. He finally threw his $4 into the pot. The maniac made it 3 bets and I folded, knowing that the clueless one would call. Sure enough, the maniac showed KJTx for 3 Js. The clueless one showed 79 [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]. The bluff would have won a decent pot had the clueless one even saw past his own hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Running bluffs that "should work" but don't is where people get the idea that you can't bluff in LL O/8. And when they don't work, they simply don't work, regardless of whether or not, in your mind, they should.

Last time I checked, raising a maniac when you've got trips doesn't qualify as a bluff, despite there being possible straights out. Raising in that situation isn't a bluff - it's solid poker. Bluffing is when you've got no chance to win the hand when you're called. You're raising in this case to get better hands to fold, but you know you'll get called by the maniac (or even three-bet, as in this case), who you ought to be able to beat. I'm also guessing that the clueless one showed T9 for a straight as opposed to 97. And maybe the player isn't totally clueless. Perhaps he's thinking that you wouldn't raise with a boat, because you'd want his overcall. So you're raising with a lesser holding to get his straight out. Or maybe he really is clueless. That's what you gotta figure out, and that's why I love poker [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[CarlNiclas]

Very good point. There are so many clueless people drawing only to a not-the-nuts-low (A3xx, A4xx on a board of 5 6 T K), and when the river hits with a third over card, (or even better, pairing the 6 or T), a sudden bet from an early position might take it down. At least it does that often enough that it is worth a shot once in a while.