How often do you semi-bluff on the flop / turn?

[nameless1537]

Here are the underlying conditions of my question:
(1) you are the pre-flop aggressor
(2) you have the opportunity to cbet with no one acting yet on the flop (and likely others to follow)
(3) you have no pairs made on the draw, but you do have a flush or straight draw on the board

Under what conditions would you semi-bluff the pot? Things to consider:
- other players post-flop aggression factor
- other players' tendency to float the flop & bet the turn
- board texture
- stakes (NL2 vs. NL10 vs. NL25 as an example)

If you semi-bluff the flop, someone calls but no made hand on the turn, would you barrel again on the turn (assuming nobody raises your semi-bluff).

Would you semi-bluff almost all of the time? What conditions would have to be present that you would either check the flop (assuming everyone checks to you) or fold to a donk bet?

------

Followup question: if you weren't the pre-flop aggressor, how often would you raise on a semi-bluff if the pre-flop aggressor cbets? Or is the better standard play to float the bet with intention to take action on the turn?

I know... lots of questions. Just wondering what the thought process is around these plays. Working on incorporating this into my play and wondering how to pull it off...

 

[eetenor]

Range advantage

Here are the underlying conditions of my question:
(1) you are the pre-flop aggressor
(2) you have the opportunity to cbet with no one acting yet on the flop (and likely others to follow)
(3) you have no pairs made on the draw, but you do have a flush or straight draw on the board

Under what conditions would you semi-bluff the pot? Things to consider:
- other players post-flop aggression factor
- other players' tendency to float the flop & bet the turn
- board texture
- stakes (NL2 vs. NL10 vs. NL25 as an example)

If you semi-bluff the flop, someone calls but no made hand on the turn, would you barrel again on the turn (assuming nobody raises your semi-bluff).

Would you semi-bluff almost all of the time? What conditions would have to be present that you would either check the flop (assuming everyone checks to you) or fold to a donk bet?

------

Followup question: if you weren't the pre-flop aggressor, how often would you raise on a semi-bluff if the pre-flop aggressor cbets? Or is the better standard play to float the bet with intention to take action on the turn?

I know... lots of questions. Just wondering what the thought process is around these plays. Working on incorporating this into my play and wondering how to pull it off...

Thank U 4 Posting.

You may want to break up this post into smaller chunks to get better answers. I would have to write several pages to properly answer your questions.

So just the basics for a start. In order to bluff you have to expect folds. The more your villains will fold the more you should use semi bluffs. The more passive they are the more semi bluffs.

So we must focus on knowing our villains' player tendencies.
We must also learn to read boards for range advantages. Not hand strength alone but range advantage.

So if you improve your skills in those two areas then adding semi bluffs will naturally follow because you will be playing range vs range. So the situation will dictate your actions.

Hope this helps.

 

[fundiver199]

Its really to complicated to answer in a short forum post, but with strong draws you should mainly look to keep the betting lead as the preflop aggressor. You can do that by C-betting or even sometimes go for a check-raise, if someone called you in position. This apply on the flop and also on the turn.

The reason is pretty simple. You dont want to check-fold, if you have a bucket of equity, and by keeping the betting lead you give yourself more ways to win the pot than by check-calling. You also build the pot, for when you get there, which is especially important, when you are drawing to the nuts, and you balance your range, so that you are not only betting made hands.

Sometimes its also not really that clear cut, when you are bluffing, and when you are value betting. If you bet the turn with an A high flush draw, you might actually get some better hands like second or third pair to fold, while you still get called by other draws, that you are ahead off.

This is the starting point, and the rest is really to situational to give a general answer to. There could be spots, where its better to check back the turn, if you think, a bet has almost no fold equity, and you are closing action. But mainly you should look to bet again.

This hand is an example of actually getting value on the flop and turn with the nut flush draw against a fish. I also fired the third barrel on the river after missing, and that I do not recommend against a fish. The outcome of this hand is pretty hilarious, and its allowed to laugh at both me and the fish.

https://upswingpoker.com/hand/?pokeit=2aHygdw

 

[nameless1537]

In hindsight, I recognize this is a big question to answer and I’ll probably use hand analysis to get further clarity about this. But these posts are good starting points to consider as I experiment more with semi-bluffs.

Some points on the discussion so far though... when semi-bluffing, best outcome is still when villain folds (duh) but having more outs makes a call more palatable. Also, position continues to matter... so obviously, being last to act is best. That said, if villain calls behind your raise, you can choose to do a check-raise semi-bluff... presumably if villain is observed to be aggressive post-flop and you want to keep the betting lead.

Now, something @fundiver199 wrote about not betting when there is no fold equity is presumably when you are up against a calling station (or if you are against a deep-stacked opponent?) and so it’s better to take the free draw rather than building the pot.

Anyway, it’s good to make sure I have the right things to consider when I am making the decision to to make the move.

Appreciate your answers for such a big question. Thanks!