Thursday, July 28, 2005
How to recognize bluffers: The Question
Recognizing bluffers and calling them can be extremely profitable in sit and go's. People get very desperate, especially towards the end of the game when the blinds are becoming huge. Now, some bluffers are pretty easy to spot and others are less. Personally, I think the best way to bluff involves making it impossible for people to call you, even if they know you are most likely bluffing (I'll get into that more some other time). Basically, recognizing bluffers usually comes down to one question: would this person bet no matter if they caught something or not?
Generally, a person decides to bluff before they even see what the next card is. For whatever reason: they're on tilt, they're desperate and they need this pot, they think you're weak, etc. I'm sure you've done it before, also, as your betting preflop or on the flop, whatever, you say to yourself "even if i don't catch what i'm hoping to catch, i'm gonna bet". And, what you need to be able to do is identify when people are going to do this and use it to your advantage.
As an example, I'll use one of my favorite moves at these sit and go's. Lets say you are big stack with about 4000 chips, its late in the game and the blinds are 100-200. You're in the big blind. Two places ahead of you a guy with 1000 chips raises to 500. You look at your cards and they're terrible, something like 7 10 offsuit for instance. Thinking about this situation, in a typical hand it may not be worth it to call that extra 300 chips. In this circumstance, however, it can be very profitable. The reason is that you know that person has to bet after the flop. And if they bet, they have to go all in. So, you know that they are going to bluff (unless of course they do in fact catch something). So, what you do is call that extra 300 and see what the flop is. If there is either a 7 or a 10, giving you a pair, I would check and call the other guy. If he is in fact bluffing (which he will be doing a large percentage of the time) you just won a 2200 chip pot for 300 chips. Good deal. If there is no 7 or 10 on the flop, you can just fold without any regrets.
Just put yourself in the other person's choose and see what you would do in that circumstance. In some situations you'll be able to use this knowledge to make some good calls and raises.
Generally, a person decides to bluff before they even see what the next card is. For whatever reason: they're on tilt, they're desperate and they need this pot, they think you're weak, etc. I'm sure you've done it before, also, as your betting preflop or on the flop, whatever, you say to yourself "even if i don't catch what i'm hoping to catch, i'm gonna bet". And, what you need to be able to do is identify when people are going to do this and use it to your advantage.
As an example, I'll use one of my favorite moves at these sit and go's. Lets say you are big stack with about 4000 chips, its late in the game and the blinds are 100-200. You're in the big blind. Two places ahead of you a guy with 1000 chips raises to 500. You look at your cards and they're terrible, something like 7 10 offsuit for instance. Thinking about this situation, in a typical hand it may not be worth it to call that extra 300 chips. In this circumstance, however, it can be very profitable. The reason is that you know that person has to bet after the flop. And if they bet, they have to go all in. So, you know that they are going to bluff (unless of course they do in fact catch something). So, what you do is call that extra 300 and see what the flop is. If there is either a 7 or a 10, giving you a pair, I would check and call the other guy. If he is in fact bluffing (which he will be doing a large percentage of the time) you just won a 2200 chip pot for 300 chips. Good deal. If there is no 7 or 10 on the flop, you can just fold without any regrets.
Just put yourself in the other person's choose and see what you would do in that circumstance. In some situations you'll be able to use this knowledge to make some good calls and raises.
# posted by Clyde @ 5:46 PM 
