Showing a bluff

[TightEnd]

Of course I never bluff, well never successfully anyway, but I got into an interesting discussion the other night


When should you or should you not show a bluff?

ever? to certain types of opponents? at certain stages of a competition?


what do you have in mind when you decide whether or not to show the  when you have pushed  off a  board or something like that? 

[matt674]

I think i may have only done it once or twice (bluffing that is)!!

If there is someone on my table who i think is on the verge of tilting then i may think about it as the bluff may well send them over the edge - but then the rest of your table is picking up free information so i'd have to be 100% certain that it would be worth it in the long term aspects of the tournament.

[Graham C]

I don't ever show bluffs either, but I am curious as to when I should be prepared to show.  My theory is that you're more likely to get a caller next time but good hands don't come along all that often so I probably don't really want one. 

[fearisthekey]

Of course I never bluff, well never successfully anyway, but I got into an interesting discussion the other night


When should you or should you not show a bluff?

ever? to certain types of opponents? at certain stages of a competition?


what do you have in mind when you decide whether or not to show the  when you have pushed  off a  board or something like that? 

Showing a  bluff gives off quite a lot of information about you, there are quite a lot of players who just don't have the game to ever make big moves, you've just shown the table right away that you are able to. At a table made up mostly of LAGs and SLAGs, it's often best to appear to be Vicky Coren rather than the Devilfish, let them choose the wrong moment to push you around.
This information bleeding always has to be taken into account and weighed up against the benefits of tilting your opponent, or, centrally, advertising an image of some nutter, an image that you are now aware of and will take into account when interpreting their reactions to your play.

That said, there are situations where you may have to bluff, repeatedly, just to show the bluff, repeatedly. If you are up against a very solid player and the game is going nowhere, you have to just start taking the ****. 4 or 5 bluffs, most people will crack. Just move back to solid play yourself and let him donk some chips.

[fearisthekey]

I don't ever show bluffs either, but I am curious as to when I should be prepared to show.  My theory is that you're more likely to get a caller next time but good hands don't come along all that often so I probably don't really want one. 

I agree, however good starting hands come up so rarely that, in tournaments especially, you will still steal many blinds as people are more scared about getting in the ring with the table nutter.

[spruce goose]

i think at times showing a bluff is a really good move. i remember the final table of the 1st ept when stevic showed the chip leader robak a massive bluff and it tilted him,the rest is history as they say.

[Ironside]

in a live game i will show upto 30% of my hands but i am selective in which i show some are bluffs some are the nuts its all depends on my image at the table and the image i want to give off and the gear i am in or if i am changing gear stack size is another huge consideration as is my opponants and there abilty

as for them getting a read off me with the free info half the time i have no idea what i am thinking so how are they going to know what i am thinking

[matt674]

as for them getting a read off me with the free info half the time i have no idea what i am thinking so how are they going to know what i am thinking

technically not true, 99% of the time most people know what you are thinking at the poker table - its never anything to cards however usually ladies and poles........

[doubleup]

Online bluff showers are usually insecure attention seekers "Oh look at me I'm a great player".  They usually do their money in my experience.

[Ironside]

dave i show less hands online that i do live (apart from blonde comps) but i still show bluffs just as much as if i sit down at a really tight cash table i will splash 50-100 of a buy in flashing cards (normally its PLO8) and getting the talbe playing really loose so also thinking i am really crap (which i probarly am) then by the time i am sat with 4 buy ins in front of me they have worked out that i have tightend up its too late

[bolt pp]

NEVER, no value

conversely live stts i show all my good hands early

[Ironside]

bolt there is value in it if you feel you can get the table confused and playing to your advantage
on the otehr hand if most of the players are better than you no point

[bolt pp]

bolt there is value in it if you feel you can get the table confused and playing to your advantage
on the otehr hand if most of the players are better than you no point

If your playing on a "good" table then showing up a bluff shows the table unnecessarily certain things how and when you bluff, whats situations you chose to bluff, your betting pattern and amount, and if you're using position.

I find mid-low level cash games are poor primarily because they're weak, as opposed to very loose as they used to be, why would i want a passive table that folds to continuation bet, that i can pre flop re raise from button and take pot after pot on the flop all of a sudden shoving back at me because i'm showing  bluffs?

[Ironside]

bolt there is value in it if you feel you can get the table confused and playing to your advantage
on the otehr hand if most of the players are better than you no point

If your playing on a "good" table then showing up a bluff shows the table unnecessarily certain things how and when you bluff, whats situations you chose to bluff, your betting pattern and amount, and if you're using position.

I find mid-low level cash games are poor primarily because they're weak, as opposed to very loose as they used to be, why would i want a passive table that folds to continuation bet, that i can pre flop re raise from button and take pot after pot on the flop all of a sudden shoving back at me because i'm showing  bluffs?

because your wanting them playing LAGISH so when you do get a hand you get paid rather than picking up a few BBs you are likely to find taking a bunch of passive players and turning them into LAGS will take them out of there comfort zone

[Dingdell]

never show.