[R Deckard]

Originally Posted by Niagara_All_In

I use this alot to get people to play pots they might not usually. What also works if you have the nuts off the flop just check to see what others do. If everyone checks then you know there are alot of fishin going on. So check again for the hopes that someone hits something anything and bet big on the river like you are going to steal it.

It worked well for me in this weekends home game. I was delt pocket 2's, the flop came 2,5,2. So I checked, then the turn and it was another low dimond. Now with 2 dimonds on board I figured I would check and hope to get another on the river. well it worked out, a dimond came up so I bet then got raised all in from a guy with the A high flush.

Thanks for the double up lol.

Sometimes acting like you are stealing works well when you are not no matter what street its on

What you are describing in your example is "normal" slow-playing--i.e. you have a rockcrusher and check/call in the hopes that someone makes a second-best hand to play against you. This is exactly what you did, and you fortunately got a good result--someone caught the nut flush and had a real reason to play against you.

But what I am talking about is betting a "suspiciously" large amount right off the bat, hoping that one of the "table cops" tries to keep you honest. In your example, the flop had a pair of deuces. So the idea would be to bet large (like pot or greater) to represent a steal, and hope that a "good" player recognizes that you probably wouldn't have seen the flop with a 2 (unless you were in the blinds), and most certainly would not bet right out with pocket deuces, and so decides to snap your "bluff" off with a re-raise (or show you he's "got something" with a call). And then you have him trapped, and can get all your money in before he makes his straight flush.

[SpaceMonkey]

It's definitely worked for me in my home games. I remember flopping a set more than one occation in EP and leading out with a pot sized bet on a ragged board and getting called down with A high or TPGK (by good players).

Just recently I flopped the nut straight from the BB bet the pot and got the SB to reraise all in with his set. One other time I remember I flopped a set in MP and got the EP to raise me on a semi-bluff with an OESD. He hit, but I was able to get all the money in with the best of it. Later he said if I knew I was that strong, he wouldn't have made the move.

I really don't do it as much as this may seem, and I would think it only works well against people that pay attention and know how you play.

That it always seems to work when I do it; I suppose that means I do it infrequently enough for it to pay off. This is against the same 7-11 people every other week for over a year now.

I suppose you could try and set up this play in a tournament if the stacks are very deep vs. the blinds and you know no one will be moved at your table anytime soon. Not so sure it's +EV in a tournament with unknowns though, even if you take the time to set up the play.