More about Bluffing: Part IV

In the last column we looked at some famous fictional bluffs. In this column, let’s get to the real heart of successful bluffing. Try to bluff your opponents when they have a good chance of being weak. Obviously an opponent who checks, especially one who checks on multiple streets, is probably weak. We all have seen the occasional genius who flops a monster and checks it three times, hoping that eventually someone will bet and then he’ll get to check-raise. Yes, right now it is happening somewhere in the poker universe. But for each time it happens, there are hundreds or even thousands of times that a player who checks three times is weak. A weak opponent is an ideal bluffing target. Although, he may be so weak that the hand you thought was a bluff was actually the best hand.

When else is your opponent likely to be weak? If everyone folds to a player in late position, and he raises. He could have a solid raising hand or he could be trying to steal the blinds and antes. This is an excellent spot to try a semibluff from one of the blinds. A hand like A-x suited or J-10 suited, will put him under a lot of pressure. Suppose he raised from the button with A-8 offsuit. Now the big blind reraises! How does he feel? Sick, that’s how. He might be dominated. Even if he gets up the courage to call, you have plenty of legitimate outs, and more bluffing opportunities when you miss.

There are many players who try to act weak or discouraged when they have a good hand. If you find yourself against one of them, but he fails to put on his “weakness act,” then you can assume he is really weak. Years ago I used to play stud in a game with an older gentleman who loved this kind of act. Whenever the river card gave him a big hand, he’d sigh, frown and check. When he did this, I always hesitated and then checked it back, Try to figure out why I’d hesitate before checking on the river. Answer next column. When he didn’t go into his act, I’d always bluff or value bet. He usually folded, but sometimes made a crying call with a weak hand.

When your opponent is upset, steamed or on tilt, he may play weaker hands than usual. Here are two common situations in which an opponent may have a weak hand. The first is when he has just had a big hand, but gotten no action. Players frequently wait patiently for aces or kings. When they finally get them, and everybody folds to their raise, they are unhappy and often become impatient. The next hand or two that they play will often be sub-optimal. They will also tilt when they get the aces or kings and lose a big pot. This effect is seen clearly in cases where they bet and raise the whole way, only to have an opponent draw out on the river. Since the next hand they play is likely to be weaker than usual in these spots, you have a bluffing opportunity. There is a small caveat here. Your opponent may be so upset about losing the previous hand that he’ll call you down with anything. Nothing is worse than executing a perfect bluff on the river, only to have your opponent call with ace-high or bottom pair. Most players want to avoid losing two big pots in a row, and are quick to fold. ♠

Steve ‘Zee’ Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful gamesplayer. He has been a full-time gambler for over 35 years. With 2 WSOP bracelets and few million in tournament cashes, he is easing into retirement. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at some major tournaments and playing in cash games in Vegas. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A in New York City -The Library near Houston and Doc Holliday’s on 9th St. are his favorites.