The Semi Bluff

The Semi-Bluff

 

One of the most powerful weapons in any poker player’s satchel. If in fact there is a reasonable chance you can steal a pot by semi-bluffing, you should pounce on it for sure. But, as with any play you make at the table, the semi-bluff is always most effective when you use it at the correct time in the correct situation. Semi-bluff at a more often than not pace and your opponents will know when you’re on the draw or think you are straight up bluffing. Semi-bluff at the right times (strategy plays a role here) and your opponents will know to fold whenever you bet. The key to semi-bluffing is to constantly change your pace, keep it fresh and never be too predictable with your betting patterns.
Let’s say that you’ve flopped the nut flush draw and are pretty certain your enemy has connected with the flop one way or another, whether a pair, set or top pair.
A better move in this spot might be not semi-bluffing but instead just calling. This way, if you hit your flush on the turn, your options have now become endless; check, call or raising are all situations you can choose to participate in, and your opponent won’t be able to put you on a hand quite as easily ( especially with your ability to switch up your betting pattern. By not semi-bluffing, you increase your chances of winning a bigger pot when your opponent actually has a strong hand. There are players out there who’ll ASSume you’re not on the draw if you don’t semi-bluff, so be sure to cash on those opportunities.

Here is your chance, if you don’t think that your opponent has a strong hand or your draw isn’t that strong (for example a low flush draw), this is the perfect time for a semi-bluff. The semi-bluff should be used as a tool to steal pots when the opportunity is sure to arise, not as a means of building big pots.







Another good way to mix up your semi-bluffing game plan is to press until the turn to semi-bluff rather than always jumping on the opportunity on the flop. This can be a dangerous play because you’ve only got one card to come on the turn and you’re not getting the same odds. But it also means that your opponent is less likely to think that you’re semi-bluffing and put you on the draw. It looks pretty strong if you call on the flop and then raise on the turn; your opponent might think you’ve flopped the nuts and throw away a pretty strong hand.
Another advantage to semi-bluffing on the turn rather than the flop is that you could be so fortunate as to pick up a few more outs on the turn.

Lets consider this; if you have a gut-shot straight draw on the flop and then pick up a flush draw on the turn. You’ve just gone from four outs to about 12, which might be worth a shot at taking down the pot right then and there. A lot of players will also have trouble deciding to put you on the flush draw in this spot; it’s just harder to see that flush draw on the turn than it is on the flop.

Once again, the key to a good semi-bluff is picking the right spot to pull it off. Choose poorly and you could stand to lose a good portion of your stack; choose well and you could throw your opponents off balance and hit them where it hurts when you make your hand. 

How are your Semi-bluff experiences going, are you a serial bluffer, or are you controlled, whats your personality at the table, glasses, hat, hood, Ipod.  I want to know!