The joys of inducing bluffs

Cash / Marcus Bateman / 29 November 2010 / Leave a Comment

One of the most crucial concepts to understand - particularly in short handed or heads up games - is the importance of inducing bluffs in key spots in poker. It is often a big mistake to start firing at the pot with certain hands in certain situations in poker even though it appears you are ahead, and understanding the best way to both induce bluffs and save money when behind is key to maximising your win rate over time.

Say you raise a hand like queen ten off suit from the button and get called by a loose /bluffing/spewy/overly tricky player in the big blind. The flop comes out Qh5c6s and they check. Often in this spot checking behind can be a great way to get value from your hand or to save money if behind. Most of the time this player type will fire at nearly 100% of turns, thinking that if you had anything you would have bet the flop (after all, you have the raising initiative, and they would always bet with pretty much any pair in this flop spot themselves, which they project onto you).

If you flat such a turn bet, you are basically forcing them to fire the river too, as if they have nothing (which most of the time they do here), they have no way to win the pot other than with another bet. This gives you a huge amount of extra value than if you had just fired the flop, where you either get check raise bluffed at best (and often check raised with them well ahead, putting you in a very awkward spot), or they simply fold and you win nothing.

Not only this, but if you are behind them with queen ten, you save yourself a great deal over time by checking back the flop. As you are most likely calling bets from this player type pretty much regardless of the turn and and river, it makes sense to try and set up a line that works for you in two directions - both winning you extra bets when they are bluffing, but also losing you the least when they are ahead.

These sort of plays are the bread and butter of successful poker, where you are always looking for lines which can give you the best possible result in as many directions as possible. It is rare that you ever want to play for 100+ big blinds with a hand like top pair with a ten kicker, and this sort of situation is a great spot to try and save money in the few situations when you are behind; but also to induce action in the majority of spots where you are ahead, but will have trouble motivating bluffs if you come out all guns blazing on the flop.

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