A successful bluff play I made..

You never know sometimes if you are getting better at reading your table and reading others, but when you play out your hand with the anaylsis you have made at the time and it works, then you know you read it right.

Yesterday I was at the casino and I read my table right.

My best play of the evening ($1/2NL):
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I'm dealt A,Ko on the button.
MP4 limps $2
MP5 limps $2

I limp $2
(which actually was a mistake on my intention,..I usually don't like to limp with A,K when there are 3 callers before me, I don't want to encourage drawing later after the flop, so I usually raise)

SB folds
BB checks.

So there is $9 in the pot.

Flop 3,5,2 rainbow (totally does not flop for me)

BB bets $15
MP4 calls $15
MP5 calls $15
I reraise to $30
(I figure I've got position and hopefully everyone folds . I have established myself as a very tight player, hadn't played many hands, and I'm hoping they will wonder why would I bet double an already modest bet by BB...that I must have hit very well....)

Well, they all call...so now there is $129 in the pot.....BB mumbles beside me, "hmm....and you originally limped in?..." Here my mistake of originally intending to raise is to my benefit...if I'd raised preflop...the low flop would have raised flags that I was just trying to protect some high pockets and being a tight player...they wouldn't put me on playing low cards, so would think I did not hit.

(and here I am saying Sh*T they ALL called, ...they all got a piece of the flop, except for me)

Turn comes a 3 (still does nothing for me.)

BB Checks (remember he led out on the flop with a $15 bet and now he is checking..)
MP4 checks
MP 5 Checks

So here I am not really happy they all called my $30...I could fold now if I determine they think I am bluffing..(they have no idea it was an outright bluff or I could raise again..)

and who knows maybe one of them called the $30 because they had a pair of 3s and now they just made their trips....but somehow...my instincts tell me BB was just protecting a pocket pair or his high pair on the board when he originally bet $15...and the other guys called the $15 either with a straight draw or paired the 5...their calling bet was weak...

I also theorize they each didn't mind committing another $15 when I reraised because there was 4 of us in the pot.

Well, I raise to $50, not quite 1/3 the pot. An over the top bet might make them assume I was really just trying to steal...but I figured $50 might make them thinking I was trying to suck them out....first I limp, then I bet $30, then I make a continuation bet of $50

BB folds (figuring I'm tight...that I haven't played many hands and all of a sudden I'm reraising his original $15...he figures I gotta have something)
MP4 hesitates very briefly and folds.
MP5 hesitates longer......mumbles....(I'm holding my breath..thinking...did I just waste $80 on a bluff?)...He says "She probably hit her straight on the flop" (My guess is he analyzed that I would limp in with A,4s on the button)

He folds.

And I win the $129 pot....now that was reading the table right!

Vegas Cat

If you were super tight then I'd probably put you on a set or maybe a straight with that betting pattern. Your image did the job for you. Nice pot.

Limping AK can be a good play every now and again. There's a thread on it in the strategy section somewhere.

Nh but one thing though:

You said you raised to 30 hoping theyd fold. I understand minraising flop to prepare a turn move but i dont think you shouldve expected anyone to fold there, and you should be aware youre making the turn move more expensive as well. Instead of letting them see the turn that cheap perhaps a strong move on flop wouldve been best?

Congrats, I liked your commentary.

good job playing that hand also glad too see some bluff works now and then

"dont go broke in unraised pots"

be careful with stuff like this.

"don't minraise bluff into three other players with ace high"

careful with this too.

wow thats a nice win i tried doing this a couple nights ago at a house game and i'm usually a very conservative player but i ended up betting $40 on pocket 9's after a flop of 6 9 5 rainbow... one person calls then the next person pushes all in so i got trip nines so of course i say definitly and i call then bam the turn rapes me its an 8 now the ****er caught a 6 card straight (7 4) so i lost a total of $98 that hand :\ then i bought back in and ended up leaving up $18!!

Gutsy bluff. I think the best times to bluff are when you are in position and against only 1 or two players, and you showed some strength preflop. Another bluff I like is when you are in the small blind or BB and get a free look at the flop. If it comes paired like 8 8 3, then just check and when someone bets just call. Then bet on the turn, it works very often.

*cough*10-month-old-post*cough*