Joined: Mar '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 6714
Semi-bluffs should be in all of our poker tool boxes.
A semi-bluff bet are made when you think you are behind, but you belive you can make the villan fold the better hand and have still have good chances at hitting a out if villian is to call.
If you go ahead and play a semi-bluff then you should do so raising givingg you a chance to take it there and then.(fold equity, key to the whole thing) Always play it on the flop so if you are called you got outs still, you can play on the turn etc but its much more effectiv on the flop as you still have 2 cards to come.
Dont bother bluffing calling staions and donks etc, go for those who can fold.
Semi-bluffs can be made in and out of position. in position gives you have the option of betting and taking a free card. out of position, you will check instead of semi-bluffing more often when in position.(most semi-bluffs are out of position) so have an advatage.
Semi bluff with hands such as flush draws and open endes str8s.
Remember..Can villan fold. Can your hand improve. Also dont forget if you hit your outs then play for value...enjoy. Oh word of warning it can blow up in your face :}
Joined: Jan '09
Location: New Zealand
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 463
nice post
Another thing that might be worth noting is that if villian called your semi-bluff bet, and the next turn or river card comes up and really turned the board ugly, which if you think it really helped the villian then it's ok to check-fold or bet-fold (bet to see where you're at, if vil raises then its ok to fold if you know you're beat).
I've seen many semi-bluffs go wrong where they bet into me when i have the nuts, i reraise and those semibluffers shove for no value at all and show random cards that completely missed their hand.
I guess thats what bigfoot means by blow up in your face
The semi-bluff works best when u don't over do it. If u start doing that every time u missed the flop, villian will catch on and 4bet reraise u, forcing to fold for a loss, therefore losing it's strength. And don't forget that there is a huge difference between a semi-bluff and a full out bluff.
Joined: Nov '09
Location: Australia
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 715
Posted by B1gfoot: Semi-bluffs should be in all of our poker tool boxes.
A semi-bluff bet are made when you think you are behind, but you belive you can make the villan fold the better hand and have still have good chances at hitting a out if villian is to call.
If you go ahead and play a semi-bluff then you should do so raising givingg you a chance to take it there and then.(fold equity, key to the whole thing) Always play it on the flop so if you are called you got outs still, you can play on the turn etc but its much more effectiv on the flop as you still have 2 cards to come.
Dont bother bluffing calling staions and donks etc, go for those who can fold.
Semi-bluffs can be made in and out of position. in position gives you have the option of betting and taking a free card. out of position, you will check instead of semi-bluffing more often when in position.(most semi-bluffs are out of position) so have an advatage.
Semi bluff with hands such as flush draws and open endes str8s.
Remember..Can villan fold. Can your hand improve. Also dont forget if you hit your outs then play for value...enjoy. Oh word of warning it can blow up in your face :}
Semi Bluff not a bad idea but woulden't just be a normal value bet sotra i mean if you still have outs?
Joined: Mar '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 6714
@$k No, not relly. The diffrence is in a semi-blff you will belive you are behind were on a value bet you belive you are ahead. A bluff only has value if villian folds However semi-bluffs can actually be value bets but then we are getting a little deeper and contradicting myself LOL. Not sure how I can explain without going deep in to Equity % and c-bets.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6786
Posted by riversucks1: i seen a guy with 22 make big bluff then hits 2 on river board was AK 10 8 2 then says semi bluff after beating a AK out of the hand was so funny lmao
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Australia
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 6483
Don't over do it, but one thing I LOVE about the semi-bluff is that if you're called and hit your out on the turn/river it makes you look like such a fish. Not great for more bluffing, but sweet when you hit your hand and want to extract heaps of value by overbetting. Also tends to put the villian on TILT if they're not a steady player when they see you bet your draw like a made hand.
