Hero Call Brag or Why Bluffing Out Of Position Sucks 🤢
Island game, 5-handed, 200bb stacks. We are not playing seven-deuce, but everyone is still bluffing with it, because it’s already a habit.
Herman opens to 3,5x, I call from the button with 8♦️7♦️, it gets folded to the any-two-card-every-hand-guy Julio in the big blind, who, of course, calls.
Flop comes 7♥️6♣️9♠️and Herman bets 9bb.
I could raise, but that would be slightly ambitions. Herman is not often betting big on this flop with nothing, I have Julio behind, it is his kind of
flop and he does not really love to fold. I have a middle pair, open-ender and position and decide that calling is the best play.
Julio smiles and calls and I assumed that he does not have a made hand, like a set or a straight, otherwise he would lead or raise. If he has a five or an eight or a ten, it’s a mandatory call in his book.
Turn comes a Q of ♥️.
Julio checks, which looks like his draw missed, a Queen or two hearts don’t help him much.
Herman checks, and his hand starts to look like a nine. Any other pocket pair, like tens, jacks or better, would continue betting after not getting raised on the flop.
The action is on me and that’s exactly why I called the flop in position - to stab if my opponents show weakness on the turn (instead of raising on the flop with too little info). Julio just overcalled the flop, which is good. Both of them checked the turn, which is perfect.
I bet 25 big blinds, Julio with a slight laugh call me and Herman with a disgusted face folds what he later said was a nine with a bad kicker, giving his two action-junkie opponents way too much credit.
The river is 4♦️ and suddenly Julio leads into me with a 65 bb bet. I take my time, trying to figure out what he can be valuebetting here.
My turn bet looks like a stab with a draw and position (and my table image suggests I have lots of bluffs here). So if you have any medium showdown value, like a nine or a queen, you should check to me and allow me to bluff. But if you have no showdown value and no position, you might try to bluff first. If you somehow have the nuts, you want to lead out bet big, otherwise I might check my weaker made hand behind - or if you think I am bluffing, you might check the straight to me as well!
So Julio is not valuebetting a Queen or two pair this way, it’s either the nuts or a complete airball.
I have straight blocker myself, Julio is an any two card guy who is capable of any move, my only concern is that he might have turned pocket eights into a bluff, even that makes more sense than a straight.
I call with a third pair and no kicker and he mucks. Because the fox sees your bullshit.
The river is 4♦️ and suddenly Julio leads into me with a 65 bb bet. I take my time, trying to figure out what he can be valuebetting here.
My turn bet looks like a stab with a draw and position (and my table image suggests I have lots of bluffs here). So if you have any medium showdown value, like a nine or a queen, you should check to me and allow me to bluff. But if you have no showdown value and no position, you might try to bluff first. If you somehow have the nuts, you want to lead out bet big, otherwise I might check my weaker made hand behind - or if you think I am bluffing, you might check the straight to me as well!
So Julio is not valuebetting a Queen or two pair this way, it’s either the nuts or a complete airball.
I have straight blocker myself, Julio is an any two card guy who is capable of any move, my only concern is that he might have turned pocket eights into a bluff, even that makes more sense than a straight.
I call with a third pair and no kicker and he mucks. Because the fox sees your bullshit.
CONCLUSION
Flatting the flop and reevaluating on the river in position is better than running an expensive amd uninformed bluff on the flop against what may be the two better hands.
I like my turn bet with a pair and a draw in position. I got the best hand to fold and caught a draw with no showdown value bluffing at me on the river.
Betting a turn with just a draw would be a lot worse versus Julio for the exact reason of what happened on the river. What would I do facing a bet without a single pair? I keep making those plays but I should someday learn.
Betting a turn with just a draw would be a lot worse versus Julio for the exact reason of what happened on the river. What would I do facing a bet without a single pair? I keep making those plays but I should someday learn.