BLUFFING

Once over the weekend I had a flush draw and an inside straight draw after the flop. I semi-bluffed raised and got all four people to drop. An attempt at a free card will sometimes pay other dividends.

Sometimes people beg you to bluff. I had a flush draw against a single opponent missed it. He was under the gun and bet the whole way, but checked on the river. I gambled and bet and he folded. I had already decided to fold my flush attempt when his check turned things around.

But usually in low limit, people want to see your cards. There are very few situations when a bluff still works. I pulled off a good one over the weekend.

I was holding 97 and the flop came T83. We checked to the button and he bet. I was the only one to call. The turn came Q and he bet again and I called. The river brought ace and I instinctively bet knowing it to be a scare card. He promptly folded a $40 pot. It’s very possible that he was on a pure bluff himself, but if he held a K,Q,J,T,8,3 or a small pocket pair he had me beat. I figured a $40 pot was worth a $4 gamble and that time it was. I won the pot because I quickly bet the ace. He probably would have called if I had hesitated.