The Concept of Semi-Bluffing
I read a few poker books when I started out playing poker and they were filled with great strategic information. I learned all about quality starting hands, the importance of position, the virtues of table image and other basic concepts. The books taught me how to play a basic, straightforward style. One thing I noticed from the books is that it’s hard to learn when it’s the best time to attempt a bluff because quite frankly, there are times at the poker table when you have to do it. If you never bluff, you will never get any action when you have a strong hand. Every time you bet, your opponents will judge you as having a strong hand and automatically fold. This is what was happening with me and my game was pretty stale. If you are this type of player, what should you do? Well, you can try to throw out a semi-bluff instead to change things up. Do you know what a semi-bluff is? Well, when I started out, I didn’t know what it was until my poker pro friend explained the concept to me.
Let's say you’re sitting in late position at your table and your dealt high suited connectors, the K,Q of hearts. The blinds are $5-$10, and you make a raise to $30. Two of your opponents call and there is $105 in the pot.
The flop comes 10, J, 3, with no hearts. By raising pre-flop, people typically check to the raiser and as expected the action is to you. What do you do? If you play straightforward, you might not bet in this spot and if you check, you are showing weakness by not betting out and anyone with a weak Jack or underpair will try to take the hand on the turn. You should semi-bluff here. Instead of checking, you should make a $60 bet with your king high. You've got an open-ended straight draw plus overcards which means that you have outs and a good chance to win the pot if it goes the distance and you hit an Ace or 9. You are giving yourself to take a pot that you would not take if you don’t hit your draw. If everyone folds, you scoop up the $105 without making your hand.
If you get called, you are still in good shape because you've taken control of the betting and you may hit your open-ended straight. Let's say "Doug" is the only player that calls the bet and the turn is a three. Obviously, this card doesn’t help you, but it probably didn’t help him either and he checks again. Now you can do no wrong. You can fire out another semi-bluff or you can see a free card. Let’s say you decide to check and see the river for free. It's a 4. This is no help to you but you know it hasn't helped Doug either and he checks again. Now you're going to have to throw out a real bluff because you missed your straight. Remember that Doug has checked to you three times so you can't put him on a very strong hand. You have to throw out a bet that is too large for a pair of Jacks or tens to call. You fire out a $200 bet and Pete folds his 10-9 or whatever he had. Your semi-bluff worked! If you had checked after the flop, you would have never won this hand.
What if you didn’t semi-bluff this hand? Obviously, you would have just thrown away $30 or more if you decided to call someone else’s bet on the turn. Doug or any of the callers would have felt he may have the best hand when the turn hit, so he bet his 10 with no kicker. The bet was rather small so you decided to call in hopes of hitting a straight. The river would have been a brick for you and Doug bet again but you would have to fold because you missed your straight. See the importance of being aggressive and betting? You have to throw out bets to see where your opponents are and ultimately this is why a "semi-bluff" in a situation like this is the perfect play.
Until next time, may the chips fall your way.
-Carrie
