Think bluffs are all about firing a ton of chips into the pot? Think again. Stuart Rutter explains.
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘bluff’? You might typically imagine a series of moves big enough that they will almost force your opponent off the pot. We are going to look at a very different type of bluff, one designed to work as it looks so little like a bluff.
A post-the-oak bluff is a tricky attempt to sneak the pot with no hand by betting a small amount. Here, we’ll talk about post-the-oak bluffs as being very small, 25% or less of the pot.
These kinds of bets are so small that they will often be called by your opponent if he holds a hand with even some small showdown value. You may well persuade him that he is probably beat, but any element of doubt will be enough for him to call. Therefore, you have to be careful to choose situations where you feel your opponent has very little showdown value, but you yourself have even less. Post-the-oak bluffs only work under certain circumstances. Let’s have a look at some opportunities where you may have to pull off this stylish bluff.
SCENARIO #1: YOU AND YOUR OPPONENT BOTH HAVE A MISSED DRAW
YOU: Qh Jh
YOUR OPPONENT: ? ?
BOARD: Ks 10s 2d 4c 2c
ACTION: Let’s say you hold the Q-J and miss your straight draw on this board. You call your opponent’s bet on the flop, he checks to you on the turn, and then again on the river.
BLUFF IT?: This is a great opportunity for a small bet at the pot to be enough to take it down, if your opponent also has a drawing hand, for example As 9s. You are representing a small part of the board with a hand like Kh 9h or Ah 10h. If your opponent has no better than ace-high, it will be very difficult for him to call any bet.
ANALYSIS - WHY A VERY SMALL BET RATHER THAN A BIG ONE?
There seem to be two types of hand that your opponent could hold given this action. He either was drawing himself and now has nothing, or has a very marginal hand like 8c 8h or Ah 10h. The small bet will be of course be called by the marginal hands, but there is a good chance that a big bet would be called by these hands as well. Your opponent should correctly deduce that there is a good chance you are bluffing, and make the call if he has any kind of pair. Thus, the small bet is almost as effective as a bigger bet, and so figures much better on the risk-reward ratio.
SCENARIO #2: YOU ARE FOLLOWING UP A BLUFF ON THE TURN
The post-the-oak bluff is designed for when you hold absolutely nothing. You are representing that you only have a small piece of the flop, but enough to make your opponent throw away a hand like ace-high or a low pair. Here is another example in which you can use a sneaky small bluff to make it look like you must have some piece of the board:
YOU: 8c 10c
OPPONENT: ? ?
BOARD: Kh Jd 7c 2s 3d
ACTION: In this hand, you have both checked the flop. With the 2s on the turn you have a straight draw and so bet half the pot, hoping to take the hand down. Your opponent calls, and the 3d on the end completes the board, leaving you with queen-high. Now, you make the post-the-oak bluff of maybe 25% or 30% of the pot.
BLUFF IT?: If your opponent holds As Js or better, he will probably make a crying call. However, this bet will be very difficult for him to call if he is any weaker. The reason is that your bet is so small that it looks like it cannot possibly be a bluff.
ANALYSIS: THE SECOND CHANCE AT A BLUFF
This style of bluff is a very difficult one to pull off. You have had a good stab at the pot on the flop or turn, and your opponent has thwarted you with a call. Rather than deciding whether to follow up with a big bluff, we are suggesting that actually a smaller bluff on the end will work. Of course, there is less chance of success, but the amount you are risking is far smaller.
The big hope for the play to work is that the decreasing bets look very untypical of a bluff. On the board above of, you will find that many opponents happily call with a hand like ace-queen high on the turn, but then feel satisfied that they have stood up to you. Often, any bet on the end is enough to take the pot.
SCENARIO #3: THE DARING POST-THE-OAK BLUFF
There is an even more daring form of the bluff which includes making a big call with nothing on an earlier street in order to make a small bluff on the end. Again, the structure of a call and then a small bet is designed to make it look like you could not possibly be bluffing.
YOU: Jc 10c
YOUR OPPONENT: ? ?
BOARD: As 7d 2c Ac 8s
ACTION: You hold J-10 and hit absolutely nothing on a board that comes A-7-2-A-8. Your opponent makes a big bet on the turn, and you decide to flat call to set up a bluff. If your opponent checks on the end, make a small bet.
BLUFF IT?: Almost any opponent will think that on this action you must have some kind of hand. He may give you credit for a hand as good as trip aces, or may believe you are value-betting with a marginal hand like Jc Jd. Either way, it will be very difficult for him to call in the likely scenario that he himself holds very little.
ANALYSIS: THE COMMON FACTOR
In all these examples, we have said that a small bluff has almost as much chance to work as a big bluff. Not only does a small bet often look stronger, but the common factor is that with the hands that our opponent would call a small bet, he would call a big bet as well. Always look out for these situations-they effectively save you a lot of money as you are giving away fewer chips when you are caught! |
