So why would you ever show a bluff??

I'll tell you why -

There's nothing sweeter than taking a pot off a guy with absolute rags, and then showing it to him as he shoves his hand in the muck... It'll send him on complete tilt for the rest of the session...

And everyone else at the table?? They'll get to see you're willing to bluff... you might have the nuts... they'll never be able to figure you out!


What do you think guys?

If it helps my table image.

Seems to make it harder to bluff in the future. If you're ready to switch to nut-peddling mode, then go for it. If not, then I don't like to show.

Questions as broad as the OP's are all situational. Just because you show a bluf doesn't mean you have to tighten up for the rest of the session/tourney. But usually no, don't show your bluffs. Like Zach said, if it will help your table image in some certain way. go for it. Also, showing a bluff and then bluffing again usually WILL work because villian will be thinking, "there's no way he is bluffing again." It's a psychological thing, and should only be used if you know what you're doing and what you're trying to convey. You're giving away information, you just have to know WHAT information they are picking up and what they're thinking.

I very rarely show my bluffs because usually I don't think it's very helpful at all. If, however, there's a guy at the table that goes on tilt very easily I might show my hand now and then to throw him off his game.

I showed a bluff once at a casino. Guy almost came across the table at me.

$10-20 limit.

6 way action PF, I have 2 2 ,
I'm last to act to a raised pot, in the BB (raise UTG)

Flop comes X Y Z
(doesn't matter, no deuce hit)

There's $120 in the pot. I check, UTG bets out, all the others call,
there's now ~$180 in there, $10 to call, so I call.

Turn is Z , gets checked around.

River is M (still no deuces) I INSTA-BET out, everyone
folds. I show the deuces. A guy on the other side folded a heart...

Security was called. He was out of his mind....

Only if they (and the people who will see it in general) already have an inclination to call too much.

But the catch is that you should be rarely be bluffing someone who calls too much. Rarely - but there're situations when it's appropriate.

live I show almost all my hands (winners) bluffs or otherwise

online I got that thing set to muck and no longer show.

used to show strong hands sometimes
never showed a bluff that I recall

You didn't answer his question.

I did implicitly

I show my initial bluff so I can bluff again. Most players instantly think that if you show one bluff you are setting yourself to get paid off when you hit the nuts so they will typically fear your bets later in the session.

It’s key though to only show one bluff and then muck the others – you don’t want the reputation of a maniac unless you know how to work the table that way.

And if you never show your cards one way or another, you are more likely to get called down at one point for pure curiosity of what you’re capable of.

that's a good thing considering you won't be bluffing near as often as you are value betting.

I don't piss around with a table full of players I respect. They get nothing. But if I'm playing with bums, I show them. But you have to watch it, you'll turn the entire table into calling stations and they'll call you down with anything and consistently outdraw you.

So, um. I've got a poker question.

Do you think that when you have big hands, you should bet them or just check?

I watched Rounders the other day, and if you just check and check when you have a good hand, it seems like you can really trick the other guy. This is called "slow-playing".

Then, the other day, I got into a 3/6 limit game, and I got AA! Pocket Rockets! I just called to be tricky. Some guy raised me, and I just called again. I ended up calling all the way to the river, and all he had was a pair of tens. Boy was he ever surprised when I turned ROCKETS over! He had no idea!
So, uh, what do you think guys?

that's under the heading of mixing up your play.
It's very advanced and I would stay away from it if I were you.

Play ABC until you get to the $3/6 tables.
That's where you'll start seeing a lot of pros who will see right thru you when you raise from Early Position (that's one of the first 3 seats to act before the flop) and they will laydown their pockets.

post some hands and I'll try to help

Well that depends on the player and their style but you are right for most players that’s a good thing.

I don't think most players should show their bluffs unless they really know what they are doing.

So....umm....... you don't like the topic huh??

Pretty stupid thing to post?

I mean, a pro would never say anything like I said in the OP would he? Or... would he...?

Good day!

I still always get a kick out of agg. blind stealers showing the one hand they raised near the button with like AJ or something as if it's supposed to give them credit for all the others so as to avoid getting played back at. Always kills me.

I never show.

When playing NL, I show most of my hands for one reason - it won't matter.. I am extremely unpredicatble and I play TONS of hands. People think that they know how I play but once they realize that I make the same bet with air, the nuts or a draw or middle pair, they can't figure out what I'm doing. I like showing the hands so that they "remember" how I play my hands because they all look the same.

Basically I do it so that people will think that they're getting a line on my play when in fact they aren't.

Will only show if i do not like the guy at the table and i happen to bluff him, other wise i will tend just to muck it.

I showed alot last night, just to change my table image. I am in a regular $1-2 NLHE game twice a week. Max buy-in is $300, which few buy-in for (I am one who does). The play is real LAG, and they don't get off hands. My style is TAG, a little looser on the back end (no jokes please). I wasn't getting paid off on a lot of the hands that I should have been, so I started bluffing and showing, and it has worked so far.
I am a firm believer that you need to change your image to keep being profitable.

BTW, I am winning about 500 a week in this game. Definately helps my bank account

As with any question/situation in poker .... it depends.

I try and be aware of my table image at all times and if showing a bluff, the nuts or even a tough lay down will help me AT THAT TIME, then I'll do it. I'll go hours and hours without showing anything (if it helps my image) and there will also be sessions where I end up showing a ton of hands.

I'll also make some donk moves sometimes with the clear intention of showing it at the end to enhance a certain image if need be. I also try and track "who was at my table when" I have made certain moves (or even when I've made a mistake during a hand) as they will remeber that when they see me sit down and I can use that against them.

As long as you know why you're giving the information and how you plan on taking advantage of what they "know" about you then go for it. There's nothing better than knowing what your opponents think about how you play.

I play really aggressive so I don't like to show my bluffs. If your a tight player and show your bluff maybe next time you'll get paid off for your big hands. For myself I don't like to show.

I don't like to becuase I constantly CB and just take down pots on the flop without much resistance where if I show a bluff I generally get my CB's called more and have to work harder and hit hands to win pots.

Also I don't like to show bluffs because then I am going to get played back more and be more inclined to to call with weaker hand because I think i might be getting played back at becuase of my new image. So I just don't like it for that reason. I would rather not show play aggressively and let people think I am bluffing a lot and not be and get paid that way.

There are times it pays to be theatrical, but in general, no.

For instance, I was in a tournament where player made a basic position bet, tookthe pot and showed everyone his rags that totally missed. So, on the next hand, I call his raise preflop and eventually push him off of pocket tens (he was stronger than I realized!) on a low connected board, so I spun my hand up reminding him that he should have just taken that pot he bluffed and been happy. I was table captain from then on, and stayed out of my way until the table broke.

That was a useful play then, but it was part of my specific purpose at the time. In retrospect, I was also just as relieved that he didn't call my bluff down! But, if you are going to show your bluff, you need to have a very specific reason for doing so. Giving away information is a bad policy in general.

i think that is it a good idea to show a huge bluff once in a while but no small little ones where there is hardly any money in the pot. It definatley gets your opp. to think through if u are doing it again later on in the game.

A good reason not show a bluff is that next time you come in, you have to have a hand, meaning it makes you not able to bluff for a while.

I show a bluff once in a while. If i am playing someone that gets mad easily, for sure i'll show them. But the thing i sometimes get worried about is if i am giving off tells when i bluff and if i show them it is a bluff they catch on. Not sure if i do, but i have always tried figuring it out, can't find any, but there are some people out there that read people very well.

It depends on the situation. If you have AA or KK and you just call but there are 3 other people in the hand as well, you have a bigger chance of getting drawn out on with smaller cards. It has happened to me.

Actually the problem I've had a couple times when my strategy is to check and wait for someone to raise preflop so I can reraise, but then for some reason after so many preflop raises by them, they don't do it on my hand, and now there are 4 others in the hand and they draw out. Had this happen the other day against 63 diamonds. Most of the time I bet out. In that situation it was tough because I think there were 6 others still to act so I thought I'd get someone to raise preflop.

Like I said, depends on the situation, how many others going to the flop. I prefer one or two, but of course if 3 are all in and I have AA, more than likely I'm calling. 99.999% chance lol. How ever I have made good moves in folding those big pocket pairs with seeing whats on the board and the betting taking place. And when the players are done racing, I get to see I made a smart laydown.

Your post makes me smile.

loooooooooooooool. I agree.

in all seriousness... he missed Iggy's joke; but he's not completely nuts.

Calling and re-raisng preflop with AA is a very legitimate play at an aggressive table. If you get in the situation and no one raises behind you, well, you see a flop 5 handed sometimes and should procede accordingly (flop texture, reads, etc), understanding a wide range of hands is out against you.

help me see the ridiculousness of the post?
I"m not saying it's flawless strategy post, but not one to laugh at for his first time.

***************

and welcome Trader1499.

excuse my strategy cohorts, they can be vicious.

I just thought it was funny that he missed Iggy's joke, that is all.

yes, true.
Being new though, he may not realze Iggy's not a complete retard.

Iggy's not a complete retard?






(sw, obv)

ok, ok.

I apologize.

Welcome to the new guy

Hope he can contribute to strat.

I think that showing a bluff in a poker game could be good for hiding your playing style, but it have to be performed rarely, and only in certain situations.

It will be really nice if you succeed in winning a huge pot with a bluff, and then to show it to your opponent, that will make him mad, and you could get the benefits of that as the game proceeds.


Bryan Nelson