[R Deckard]

What do you folks think about this tactic: instead of the standard slowplay method of checking/calling, you bet a suspiciously large amount in NLHE when you've flopped the nuts? Because sometimes it seems so obvious and suspicious to check/call with a flush or boat flop, I have tried this against aggressive players (with mixed success) who I think may then play back at me to snap off my "obvious" steal bet.
+ EEEE VEEEE or - EEEE VEEE?

[boondocker96]

I think its a viable stategy, whats the worst that could happen-everyone folds?
you might be getting in thier heads, and if you do it again, they might call u to 'keep you honest'......and then they go bye-bye.
Got to mix it up some.

[VARoadstter]

The only way anyone continues in the hand is if it hits them fairly hard. They won't get involved with overcards or something like bottom pair but those folks are precisely the ones you want to give a chance to bluff at the pot. If you've got a made hand the only real way to get some money in there is to be up against someone who also got something or someone who wants to bluff at you. I think it's likely a -EV play.

BTW, this is precisely the play that Damon tried in Rounders at the beginning of the movie. Obviously it can be played in the right situations but over the long haul it will probably just drive away some action you might have gotten.

[Coleman]

Goading a player to make a big call actually works rather well if there are some fish in the pot.
I know several players who can't lay down a draw.
They just can't!
And, if they happen to have top pair with an ace kicker, they'll raise you.

It's also effective in tournament play, as short stacks are prone to chase their blinds.

You don't really flop the nuts anyway, almost any hand you flop can be outdrawn.

You get more callers early than late, at least more of the callers you want.

If you're competing with solid players, you won't likely make much this way. But who wants to play with them anyway? The fish of this world will draw you out every chance they get. Punish them when you can. Bet your winning hands before free cards make them losers.

[smoore]

This actually works fine against decent opposition, but only if you haven't been showing down your winners lately. Gotta have the image where the table sherrif WANTS to call you. You also need a rep. for being able to bluff. Put this in at the wrong time and you win the pot right there. Do it on a night when you're just running HOT.

I think this would be a good play about twice a year in a typical weekly home tournament where the winner and second play ~200 hands per tourn., i.e. about once every 5k hands or so.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Originally Posted by smoore

This actually works fine against decent opposition, but only if you haven't been showing down your winners lately. Gotta have the image where the table sherrif WANTS to call you. You also need a rep. for being able to bluff. Put this in at the wrong time and you win the pot right there. Do it on a night when you're just running HOT.

I think this would be a good play about twice a year in a typical weekly home tournament where the winner and second play ~200 hands per tourn., i.e. about once every 5k hands or so.

Yep, I've seen this work very well when someone is on a rush or just buying a lot of pots. The rest of the players get tired of folding and watching the same guy win. Eventually, one of them will get frustrated enough to get involved with a weaker hand, thinking there's no way this guy has had a hand every time.
If anything, if a guy has been raking pots left and right and then all of a sudden puts on the check/call routine, I'd be very suspicious.

[VARoadstter]

Originally Posted by smoore

I think this would be a good play about twice a year in a typical weekly home tournament where the winner and second play ~200 hands per tourn., i.e. about once every 5k hands or so.

That's my point, though. I'm sure it works sometimes. The bigger question is whether or not it would drive more action away than it's worth. I can't prove it but it smells -EV to me.

Someone else mentioned that this same player might do it with a flush draw or some BS like that (doesn't realize that by playing back at you he'd be drawing dead). Great! You'd bust that guy 100% of the time if he did. Problem is that the bigger the bet is the higher the probability that the guy will ultimately decide that chasing just isn't worth it (and lets the hand go instead of trying to make a move on you). The "Fancy Play Syndrome" approach is still probably -EV.

Note - I'm not saying you could never try it. You may pick up some other signal that the guy is itching to get in a fight with you and then it may well be a great play. Absent any other "tells" though, I still think you're going to drive away the action.

Rereading your post, smoore, I will give grant you one of your points. If you haven't shown down a winner in a while and everyone is getting impatient you may also have a small opportunity to lay the smackdown on someone playing out of pure frustration. When you do that and you guess right you'll feel like a genius. When they continue to run away you'll just have to fantasize about "what might have been".

[smoore]

Yeah, exactly, VARoad.... it's a viable play but only every so often and only under perfect curcumstances. Any other time it's -EV by a long shot.

[R Deckard]

Originally Posted by smoore

Yeah, exactly, VARoad.... it's a viable play but only every so often and only under perfect curcumstances. Any other time it's -EV by a long shot.

Mmm, I just CAN'T WAIT to try it out on both you guys this Thursday. . .

[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