Talking your opponent into calling in a live game

I recently went to the Commerce to play in a live tourney. Usually at a live game I'm still and quiet, not wanting to give anything away. However, harking back to my reading of the poker bible, A situation came up where I knew I had nothing to lose.
It was folded to me on the button and I looked down to see 5-8 suited. This is pretty much below the bottom of my button raising range, but with 20BB's and 15 minute levels, you simply cannot wait for big hands. So, I 3x'd it hoping to pick up the blinds and antes.
Well, the big blind called. The flop came pretty ragged except for two spades, giving me a four flush. After the BB checked it to me, I bet out 1/3 pot, and he called. I figured he at least had middle/bottom pair, or, God forbid, a flush draw. When the turn brought the 3rd spade and the guy checked, I pretty much knew he had no flush and wanted to get to a showdown with his pair. Knowing this, I went ahead and checked back my flush. River is a dud, and sure enough he bets real small. I put out a 1/2 pot bet raise, which was 1/2 his stack.
Immediatly he starts shaking his head and says to me "Really, you check a flush on the river?" As I said, I normally keep my mouth shut, but instead I said to the guy "Come on man, I know I'm no pro, but only an idiot would check a flush on the river", saying it as truthfully as possible. Then I added "Either you got a pair or you need to fold". As soon as it was out of my lips he called with the two pair he rivered! And wow, was this guy pissed! Next hand he shoved and lost with garbage.
It was actually pretty cool, like an excerpt right out of Super System! I mean, the guy had picked up his cards and was ready to fold for certain when he started talking to me, so I figured I had nothing to lose. While I would not do this often, the opp presented itself and I took a chance.
What do you guys think? You ever try this in a live game and get away with it? I think it's a good tool in your poker tool box for these occasions. It certainly got the tables attention, and they seemed leary of me when in a pot with me the rest of the night!

Good move that worked...

I've found myself in a few situations where I wanted to induce a call and WANTED to give off signs of weakness...but didn't know exactly HOW to go about it.

Here's my question: when they say "will you show if I fold?"

what should we say there? I usually respond with "I don't show" which is the truth and I feel like that makes them slightly more likely to call.

the other question is when they say "Do you want a call?" I never know what to say. I usually say nothing but if it's a player I've been friendly with or it otherwise seems strange to not respond I'll say "Just do what you gotta do, man"

Sometimes signs of weakness indicates that you are really strong.
You were talking to him as if you weren't that strong by telling him that you were no pro.
Some people pick this up and see this as a sign of strength.
It's best not to say anything.
If you do end up being a talking player, adjust! do the opposite of the opposite

missjacki said:

I've found myself in a few situations where I wanted to induce a call and WANTED to give off signs of weakness...but didn't know exactly HOW to go about it.

Here's my question: when they say "will you show if I fold?"

what should we say there? I usually respond with "I don't show" which is the truth and I feel like that makes them slightly more likely to call.

the other question is when they say "Do you want a call?" I never know what to say. I usually say nothing but if it's a player I've been friendly with or it otherwise seems strange to not respond I'll say "Just do what you gotta do, man"

Click to expand...

It's hard to know what to say when it's someone you have not played with before. Sometimes, however, what they say can tell you just what you should do. You can sometimes use logic. Example: I watch Vanessa Selbst at a final table, WPT season 12 Borgata. It's down to three players. UTG is Cong Pham, who raises with junk. Next is Anthony Zino, looks down at a A10 suited and 3-bets. Vanessa has J-rag suited and shoves 26 BB's.


Now Zino is in the tank for only a minute when Vanessa turns to him and says "well, no insta call, that's always good". Zino continues to tank and then she adds in "I'll show if you want". She says all this very off the cuff, apparently very truthful.


What would you do and why? Well, I would have called. Why? Simple, first you know she does not have aces or any big A or big pair. Why else be glad that there was no insta call? She wouldn't be saying anything with KK or QQ, even JJ - she would want a call knowing he does not have aces(no insta call). So, you might think then she has AK, maybe AQ or AJ, right? Maybe she said it on purpose because she has AA. Sure, now you fold...except she offers to show! Why would she volunteer that? Well, if she wants you to fold, this makes it easier for you....wait now, lets think about that - if she has AA or a big ace, why on earth would she show that? She would not be considered bluffing and it tells the table how she is playing....which is not well, because you assume Zino has some sort of Ace or decent pair to 3 bet with, so you flat with your big ace or shove. Yet again, with AK she is going to keep her mouth shut in case he has a middle pair and she sure does not want a race for her game life when she holds a decent stack. She would, however, just love to show a bluff! "Look what I can do! I'm on TV bluffin the tough guys! So, if she thought he had a big Ace, with AK or AQ, she isn't going to say anything. Instead, she clearly wants a fold here. With her stack size at the time, it only makes it look even more like an over-aggressive steal attempt.


So, her story is "I'm glad you don't have aces, neither do I, but I have a big hand (AK or AQ) that I'm playing very badly and I want you to fold". Does this make any sense? No. So, either she has total air or a small pair. That is why you would assume you have, at best, two overcards....until she offers to show. Now you are pretty sure she has nothing but air. 3 handed, A-10 suited is a monster.

In the end, you never want to base a poker decision on what someone says, except in rare circumstances. Given her well known aggression and table talk preflop here, I think you classify this as a rare circumstance. She did everything except tell Zino "I'm full or it". Mike Sexton even thought she was making a big mistake opening her mouth and thought for sure Zino would call! Instead he folded, and she showed the bluff. He would have even taken her flush outs away as they both had clubs. Sure, she could have spiked a J or a 6....still. It was pretty horrible on her part because after she does this, she almost always fails to then tighten up, and you must after showing such a lose bluff. Which is almost impossible anyway, 3 handed!

Another good example....

Here is a good one. DN took a big chance that this guy wouldn't think it through, and he doesn't. Just sad.


After he tells the guy he puts him on AA or KK, the guy should have thought this:

"Well, you think I have AA or KK? No duh, Captain Obvious! Clearly that's what I have. Yet you can beat it, only instead of taking me for my whole stack, you are nice enough to forgo winning a bigger pot to save me a few chips so I can keep playing and maybe make a comeback! How nice of you Mr. Negreanu! What a nice guy! He actually tells me he can beat me so I can fold and save some chips! What a sweetheart!!".

I would not have insta called, but I certainly would have come around to calling it. I mean, It just does not make any sense whatsoever!!! You know I have a big pair and you can beat that, only you don't want to do that to me? PLEASE!

Nice play. You have to get into the mental aspect of the game. It can increase your winrate significantly. Anything that you can do or say to induce your opponent to Make a wrong decision is good. When some asks if I will show if they fold I usually say "I might not show if you call."

I was at a live table in vegas and I was bluffing with rags and just put in 25% percent of my stack on the flop guy raises I shove he sits there trying to study me and looks at me I smirk and put this big grin on my face he instant folds

didn't have to say anything he thought the smirk was confidence I honestly just thought he looked funny staring at me and couldn't hold it in

I have had a lot of success inducing calls live by knocking over my chips and then quickly restacking them. Makes me look nervous I guess but it has worked for me many times when I desperately wanted a call from a guy in the tank.

revskip said:

I have had a lot of success inducing calls live by knocking over my chips and then quickly restacking them. Makes me look nervous I guess but it has worked for me many times when I desperately wanted a call from a guy in the tank.

Click to expand...

Yes, I also induced a call by this same trick. In theory, someone is bluffing if they fix the spilled stack becasue they want to "fix" the "error", meaning they are bluffing.

It is still said the best ways are to find players who believe the old "acts strong = weak/act weak = strong" routine. So you instead act strong when you actually are!

But lets nopt stop there! Live you can do this as well;

I'm close to the money and on the button; I flop THE NUTS, and after being checked to I check as well. By the river, the UTG decided neither of us really had a hand and bets 3/4's pot. The player inbetween us looks like he really wants to get to a showdown, so as soon as the guy bet I picked up my cards as if I was waiting on the middle guy to do something so I could fold - it worked! He flat called the guys bet, I placed my cards back down in front of me and raised the pot. First guy shoved, second guy looked over at me and said "nice move" and folded!

I knew he was a decent player, as after I did this he folded despite now investing a good chunk of his stack! He knew exactly what I was up to! Too bad UTG had no clue and lost 1/2 his stack. Give him credit for bluffing, excpet the board forced him to rep my own hand!

with words u can start a war so in poker is the same thing... when u know a little bit psychology ...