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TIPS FROM THE PROS
Huckleberry Seed
March 13, 2006
Deception is a vital tactic in poker.
Usually, when a player talks about a
deceptive play, he's referring to a bluff -
a time when he represented a hand of greater
value than the one he held. But this isn't
the only deception available in poker - not
by a long shot. If you study your
opportunities thoroughly, you can use the
threat of a bluff to engage in another type
of deception, one in which you're trying to
convince an opponent that you are bluffing
when, in fact, you have a great hand.
Say you're playing in a No-Limit cash
game and things are going well. You've been
playing actively and aggressively. You've
been firing at a lot of pots, using a
combination of good cards and well-timed
small bluffs to pick up a number of them. To
your tablemates, it seems as if you're
trying to capture every chip on the table.
They're starting to grow suspicious and feel
you're getting greedy.
With the table in this mindset, you call
a middle position raise from the big blind.
You're holding modest cards - 6d-8d. The
flop comes 7c-4h-Qs. You now have a gutshot
straight draw and check. You're opponent
bets half the pot and you call, feeling that
if you hit, you can win a big pot. The turn
is the Tc. Now you have a double gutshot
draw - any 5 or 9 will make a straight.
At this point, put out a large bet. If
your opponent holds Jacks or Ace-King, he'll
likely fold. If he's got Aces or Kings,
he'll probably call. And, if so, you'll know
he holds a good hand that he's willing to
defend.
The river brings a 9, completing your
straight. Now you can use you're aggressive
image to your advantage. Move all-in, even
if the bet is two, three or four times the
size of the pot. To your opponent, it's
bound to look like a bluff. Your bet will
seem ridiculously large and impulsive. If
you had the nuts, he'd reason, you'd bet
smaller, trying to get some value. He'll
look at his big pocket pair, feeling that he
needs to make a stand against your
relentless play. This deceptive play where
you're actually representing a bluff
will give you a chance to win a huge pot.
If your opponent folds, you'll want to
make a note. You'll know he folded a big
hand and might be willing to make other lay
downs in the future. But, you don't want to
push this guy too hard. If you force him to
make two or three big lay downs, he's sure
to call you down later. When he's reached
that state of mind, make sure you have a big
hand the next time you play a pot together.
No-Limit poker offers some great
opportunities for deception. As you develop
your game, look for spots where bluffs and
the threat of bluffs can win you big pots.
Huckleberry Seed |
