I would like some input on this one. It was a NL hold'em ring game with
ten players. I think it was quite loose. I was in the big blind with
4-2. This time there was only one limper. The flop was A-x-x rainbow.
Both of us checked. The turn card was a 5, giving me a gut-shot
straight draw. I bet, and got called. There was no other draws out
there, so I figured that my opponent had something. The river was a
blank. I didn't want to bet at the pot again because I thought that
would have a negative expectation. It might have some advertizing
value, of course.
I don't value advertizing very much at the limits I play. Then it would
be better to check-fold, right? If my opponent checks behind me I will
learn what he has got, and he will see that I was semi-bluffing on the
turn. If he bets, I will fold. I already know that he probably has
something, but what will he think? He will see that I showed weakness
on the river. Then I folded when he made a bet. Do I want to give him
another reason to bet when I show weakness? Maybe that would hurt my
table image. He might even think that I had something and still folded.
After a while, I made my choice. I neither bluffed, nor checked. I
folded the hand directly. I knew that I had the worst hand. What will
my opponent think now? He will figure that I bluffed at the turn. He
might even think it was a pure bluff since there was almost no possible
draws then, and therefore I will gain some of the advertizing value
anyway. He might even be so confused by my play that he will make
incorrect calls later just because he thinks I might fold directly on
the river. So I lose nothing more in the pot, and I might gain
something later. Has anyone got a good argument against this play?
On another forum, one guy posted about someone doing that, and said
'what a total fish!', which might be what you want.
Really depends on the faults of your opponents and how suits you best
to exploit them. I face this to, see my natural inclination is to
semi-bluff, but calling stations, call anything... so you lose the
value in having better hands fold. They also tend to be addicted to
raising with even pair of 2's, many have a re-raise All In reflex,
which is perfect when you hold the nuts, but not when you're drawing to
them. I tend to play like a fish then, let them do the running and bet
into me, keep pots small, but when I make hand or figure it is time to
go for it, I bet, get raised All In usually. By doing some cheap
betting early on, and folding to a raise, when there's overcaller's to
my bet, they have me in the bluffer's category of move makers.
Know your customer and see what works, if they think you can be pushed
about, then many will bluff off huge chunks of their stacks, or even
all their chips.
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