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The Powerful Semi-Bluff
While bluffing can sometimes be one of the most thrilling plays in poker, it can also be one of the scariest. Especially for cash game players who are risking real money when they put their chips into the middle with nothing but air. Semi-bluffing can provide many of the same rewards that bluffing can, but with the added benefit that you still may be able to make a winning hand even if you get called. Semi-bluffing means that you are betting with a hand that would currently lose at showdown, but the hand also has the potential to improve.
For example let’s say you are holding the 10H and JH and the flop falls 7H, 8H and A-D. Even though you are technically behind if you bet, your hand still has a chance of winning at showdown if you catch a heart or a 9. Even better, you could win the pot immediately if your opponents aren’t carrying an Ace.
You can semi-bluff your hand either in or out of position, and each option offers different risks and benefits. The first benefit of semi-bluffing from out of position is that sometimes by leading out, you can take the pot right away by forcing your opponents to fold. In cases where your opponent does not fold, a semi-bluff can work as a defensive bet. You take control of the game by enticing your opponent to call for a smaller amount that he would have eventually bet on his own. Also, semi-bluffing from out of position can be very deceptive since your opponents will often give you credit for having a made hand rather than some kind of draw. If your opponent raises your semi-bluff on the flop, you may want to call and reevaluate your hand on the turn, but occasionally you can continue your semi-bluff and put in a big re-raise. You can do this either when your draw is very unlikely to hit or when you suspect your opponent does not have a huge hand. If you think your opponent is very strong, you can check-call hoping to make your hand on the turn. If you think he’s weak, you can lead out with another semi-bluff on the turn.
Your semi-bluffing options are slightly different when you are in position. In this case, betting your hand when your opponents check to you can often be enough to just take the pot down right away. Remember though that by doing so you are re-opening the betting and giving a tricky opponent the chance to check-raise you into folding a hand that could have improved with a free card. With this in mind, take careful note of who you are up against in the hand. If you are up against a weak or predictable opponent you can semi-bluff without much fear. Against a tricky or more aggressive opponent, then you need to think about whether or not your hand can stand up to a check-raise before you bet.
Preying on the Tight Players
If a loose player gets involved in too many hands pre-flop, a tight player doesn’t play enough. That’s how you can tell the difference between your opponents at the table. This can make determining their range of hands fairly easy as tight players are often unwilling to play with anything less than a premium holding. Because tight players are opposite of loose players when it comes to their playing strategies, it only makes sense that you will need to alter your approach when playing hands against these tight players.
When you play tighter against a loose opponent, you stand to profit by playing more aggressively against tight opponents. During pre-flop play this means that you should raise more hands against tight opponents. For example, if you have an opponent in the blinds that is playing really tight, and you are in late position, you will probably want to raise every single time. If you see an opponent who likes to limp into the pot with marginal hands, like Q-10 suited or a medium pocket pair, you can often push them off their hand by offering a pre-flop raise. By the same token, if you see a tight player who doesn’t defend his big blind with anything other than a big hand, don’t be afraid to open up your game and steal the blinds by raising pre-flop. Many players like to raise with weak hands like 10-7 or 6-4 in these spots rather than mediocre hands like Q-J or 10-9, because they are easier to get away from if they are re-raised. If by chance you do call a raise from a tight player while holding a mediocre hand, be careful if you flop top pair and your tight opponent is putting in a lot of money. It’s probable that your opponent has you beat with an over-pair or a set, or even with a better kicker.
Another key to this strategy is to watch how a tight player reacts once they become involved in hand before the flop. Some tight players will open-raise the pot with a good hand, but fold to a re-raise because they are not willing to risk their chips with anything less than a premium hand. Other tight players will become ‘sticky’ once they’ve opened a pot and their stubbornness will force them to not want to lay down their hand to anything less than a huge re-raise. Only re-raise tight players who will show that they can lay down a hand that they really wanted to play.
After the flop the best way to profit against tight opponents is to bet or raise them off their hands or in other words, bluff them! While this is a very effective play against a tight and timid opponent, you need to be careful when you are facing a tight and talented player. The tight and talented player is very skilled in trapping aggressive opponents and inducing them into bluffing off their chips in bad times.
As the game gets short-handed, you will need to become a little more careful against some tight opponents. Some of those tight players will not be able to adjust to a shorter table, which means that you can continue to play aggressively against them without fear. But the talented tight player will be changing up their game as the situation changes and they are likely to loosen up their ranges, just as you are. Pay close attention to these players and exercise caution if they start to play back at you more frequently in short-handed situations.
Finally, remember that position is always your friend. If there is an all-in raise during a particular hand, make sure you are the one making it! Where a loose player will often fold because they have a weak hand, tight players are likely to fold in these spots because they fear they have an inferior hand.