Bluffing or Insanity?

Dunc8b

Dunc8b

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Over the last few days I have noticed players raising after the flop and then again and then again and when it came to the show they had nothing. Even their starting pair raised a question in my mind as to why did they start but when they didn't catch anything from the flop to continue.

An example is IIRC that a player ahead of me went a good 10BB after the flop. I called it as I had 10 & 7 in my hand and they had matched with the flop and the 3rd card in the flop was lower. (I should have done a screen shot it)

At this point my thoughts were that I had the highest 2 pair, they may have 3 of a kind but I decided to continue as I had enough chips to take a chance.

On the turn the cards were again in my favour, 3 of a kind excepted as no flushes or runs were in the making. They doubled their last bet and i called it.

After the river I had gone up to a full house with my cards being the highest on the table. At worse it could be a draw. I called again.

When the cards were show there was nothing in their cads, not even a small pair with any of the common cards.

Surely after two calls after very strong raises you would perhaps be cautious especially as you absolutely nothing. IIRC is was unsuited 3 and 6 with not even a sniff of a run forming.

Needless to say i picked up a considerable number of chips AND I did it again a few hands later when I only had a high pair (although the highest available using the common cards)

I think a couple of the other players picked up on this and within a short time their substantial chip lead was gone and they were out of the tourney. And this wasn't the start but some 1.5 hours into the tourney.

I can see the first raise being a bluff. They had been doing that previously. But to continue. Insanity? Seems like it to me.
 
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redmast

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Perhaps it was a beginner. Having no experience of playing the young players trying to intimidate the rest of the raise. They complete zero in the game. Their minds are filled with mostly bluff. They think that the poker game is built on a bluff.
 
Dunc8b

Dunc8b

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That did cross my mind that there were players out there that think that poker is a game of bluff. If that was their style of play it had seemingly worked earlier in the game as they had a fair stack of chips. But to get "caught" with nothing to show and then get caught again...

I called the "bluff" twice and did very well. So even if I had the chance to try a 3rd and lost I'm still up against the player. But as I mentioned they didn't last long after.
 
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Demagog

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It happens quite often, especially in tournaments with low buy-in or free rolls. But most interesting is that quite often they manage with their garbage win. :)
 
jsteppps

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that's what perpetuates the bad play in freerolls i guess :/ how often do you see the first hand of these tourneys starting with more than half your table all in preflop :D most of the time i try to avoid the absolute beginning, but from there you get (lets call them) "beginners" catch 5x starting stack with a k2 open shove. then they start thinking theyll win everyhand like so perhaps:confused:
 
Dunc8b

Dunc8b

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I expect the manic 5-10 minutes of Silly Time in freerolls where they will go all-in with 2 instruction leaflets. And the annoying thing is that there is a percentage that drop really lucky and collect. I just try and keep out of the way.

But this was 90+ minutes into a MTT that still had late but-in time available. I could also perhaps understand if they were going all-in but they were raising and raising.

Now if I could only take notes at the same time as playing they'd be a marked player. :D
 
jsteppps

jsteppps

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that's the thing with MTTS, late buy in - to a sadly large number - means go crazy and hope to bink big pots :s i've certainly experienced what you've seen myself... they just make me laugh

i'd have to agree that they're "probably" beginners with no concept of fold equity. plus alot of these players that bet 3 streets with nothing you find instafold to min raises - so does that mean their mentality is that if you dont raise perhaps theyve got the best hand? :D lol

you should welcome these nutcases with open arms i say. its part of the online world sadly. just have your fingers and toes crossed they dont bink the nuts after 3 streets lol
 
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seghill

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In small MTT tournaments with rebuys it is not unusual to see all in play early, good, it raises the pot if they rebuy. They are hoping to catch a good one and save themselves any more rebuys and with a 30% chance they most probably find it is worth the effort.
However the players style you struck with constant raises just tells you that was most probably how they got their chips, either through striking a win on the river or betting. As you saw they are eventually found out, and presumably you noted them so that next time they will be able to be played appropriately.
The big danger is that occasionally they do have a hand and that is costly.
 
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