Poker: Sensing Weakness

#1 03-02-2005, 8:28 PM

A very popular strategy amongst newer players is to constantly bluff at pots when a player thinks that no one is confident enough in his own hand to call a bet. Playing this way causes you to get yourself into large amounts of trouble. In this article I'll go over how to know when to pick your spots.

First off, I'll continue on why to not play this style. Sometimes you will win the pot and it feels great. However, when you do catch a pair on the flop, psychologically you become more attached to it; it becomes harder to lay-down to a raise or even a re-raise. This will cost any player lots of money.

On the flop side, playing tight-aggressive is the most proficient way to play poker. By playing this way, it allows for a player to play his premium hands and make money off of those, while minimizing his losses.

Sensing weakness starts with putting a player on a hand before the flop comes. This read is based upon the tendencies you notice based on correlations of what he has done (i.e. raise 3x the big blind) with what he has shown at showdown. Remembering such things and making notes of it are very important. Based upon these, you can see what cards he is raising with. Along with this, however, is how aggressive this player is playing. If he is betting every flop he sees, you have to have to enough confidence in your pre-flop read on his cards to know he will lay it down to a re-raise.

Many players love to play other players regardless of what he has himself. While many of the professionals can do this, it is very difficult to do this at the amateur level. When bluffing because you sense the other player is bluffing as well, making sure you have outs is a must. By outs I mean one card that could come that could put you ahead in the hand. Many times such things will happen as follows:

Player 1 is in the Big Blind (200) with [ 7h ] 5♠
Player 9 is in the Small Blind (100)
Player 9 calls
Player 1 checks
Flop [ 2s 4h Ac ]
Player 9 bets 600

You know this player, especially with everyone folding to him, would have raised with any Ace on the button. He has been doing it the whole tournament. With this over-bet you believe that he is merely trying to steal. However, if you call this bet, you may be in a position where you must hit runner-runner cards in order to win the hand. When you are going to raise someone based upon sensed weakness, you want to make sure you have outs incase your read is wrong. Such situations when a person might have a straight draw, flush draw, etc. are called "semi-bluffs." Knowing your outs and chances of hitting them is very crucial. So the question is, what do you do?

In the situation above, it is more than likely better for you to let him have your 200 blind and just let it go. This goes along with playing tight-aggressive, and choosing your spots wisely. Why waste 600 plus a turn bet plus a river bet when you are possibly drawing for runner-runner to win the 400 in the pot.

Making a move on someone (bluffing) should come at times when you sense weakness, you haveouts, and it is worth risk. Winning his blind is not one of the situations worth risking this many chips. If there is enough in the pot to risk your chips with, you have possible outs in order to win if you are behind in the hand at the current time, and your read tells you that he is not strong and may lay it down, then it is worth it.

One last thing. When doing this, you have to realize who you are doing it against. Early in tournaments and at ring games and such people will call with almost anything, thinking that you are bluffing. You may know someone is bluffing, but in essence he may end up having bottom pair, inside straight draw, or such a hand. Know who you are playing against first and foremost.

Written By Carder England specifically for Cardschat.com
Copyright ©2004 - 2005.

#2 18-04-2005, 2:50 PM

this article is great i have to read it again again to understand it all but thats what poker is all bout reading and reviewing everything over and over again, ty for the info,

#3 19-04-2005, 10:07 PM

Man, I 'm just a beginner but soon I'll be intermediate poker player with this kind of knowledge. Plz keep it coming, feed me more...more...Dank You.

#4 20-04-2005, 7:05 PM

nice info nick, i like your style of gameplay

#5 20-04-2005, 11:15 PM

I agree with you with one exception. In a tourney during the late stages when the ante and the blinds are getting really big. It is usually worthwhile to make a play for the blinds especially if the blinds are short stacked. With the example given I would also pass on it.

HD

#6 21-04-2005, 3:11 PM

jeez i'm glad i decide to roam from the players lounge and check out more of what its all about, good reading..good stuff...thx Nick

#7 22-04-2005, 10:53 AM

yes i agree maybe if i read more i to would learn the art of when to bluff and when not to,,,it all sounds great in writing now if i could apply it and when lol

#8 24-04-2005, 12:55 AM

good article

#9 24-04-2005, 5:20 PM

Theres alot of lessons to be learned playing online,and i found this one out among the first of many trial and error poker playing.Over valueing your hand is another,as i said before i trully beleive in haveing more than one way to win your hand.Either with your hand or your bet(a good timely raise,and not putting your opponent all-in:as putting him all-in only gives you one way to win your hand:with the best hand.As a raise would make him think,and thus giving you the leverage needed to out play your opponent.)

#10 25-04-2005, 4:20 AM

good article, I am trying to apply it to my game .Alot of info to absorb..

#11 28-04-2005, 3:57 PM

its good advice. I find i get this wrong alot though. or ill get it right and they draw on me and win.

#12 30-04-2005, 1:43 PM

it is really professional .
i have colleced and kept it .
thank you !

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