127 CHEATING, BluffING AND SEMI-BluffING ?Trust everybody, but cut the cards.? - Finley Peter Dunne No, we are not going to teach you how to cheat. Our topic is spotting cheaters. And of course, our focus will largely be on online cheating.
Online poker rooms are probably the safest place to play at right now. Did your mother ever tell you to ?never trust a stranger?? Well, playing online limits the number of sneaky people you could potentially be dealing with. The Dealer is a program. Programs don't cheat. You don't have to worry about any sort of illegal card handling. There are no ?cards? online.
Some people worry about hackers.
128 It's been many, many years since the last major instance of hacking affected anyone wagering money in an online Hold 'em game.
Since then we've had breakthroughs like the SSLv3/TLSv1 encryption algorithms and multi-layered random number sequencers. Not only do we have these very technical advances, but all the ones you would expect in a real casino.
The most common form of online cheating is player collusion.
That's when two or more players reveal to each other what cards they hold. This form is more difficult to pull off in a live game, but playing online gives players the chance to have a fellow player on the phone with them, or sitting next to them at another computer.
Fortunately most of these players are the ones who have no idea how to use that advantage. These two must coordinate well together, which takes practice. Online poker rooms not only look for telltale signs of collusion, but check to see if two players always play at the same table together. They would have to use ?hit and run? tactics when using this form of cheating. Colluding players would have to hit up a high-limit table, then flee to another online poker room with their winnings and never look back.
It is barely worth it to try collusion. But just in case, here are some things to look for � 1. A team of players who try to ?steamroll? other players out of the game. This means re-raising each other to make non-colluding players call multiple bets at once.
2. Players who never play fast pre-flop. That's the time to talk about what they hold. Watch whoever is Under the Gun and be mindful of reaction time.
129 3. A group of players who hike up bets by re-raising with someone in between them. This gets the maximum amount of bets out of a third party. The alarm should really go off if one of those re-raising players has a poor hand, or if one of them folds with one bet to go despite a massive pot. There's a time to Bluff and a time to fold and most people have an idea when that is, so be on the lookout for players who exercise horrible judgement like that. Identify that person as a potential goldmine for yourself or a potential cheater.
Once again, it's VERY rare for someone to even attempt these sort of things. Still, never accuse anyone of cheating. Either contact the poker room's administrators or just get up and leave BluffING ?You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.? Abraham Lincoln A Key Element In Poker Is Deception.
Bluffing is the quintessential trick in poker. Of course, the reasoning for a Bluff is to deceive the other players into thinking you have a better hand when you actually do not. For a Bluff to work, you need the other players to think you actually have that better hand.
Many beginning poker players love this idea of Bluffing and often misuse it. The value of the Bluff increases under certain general circumstances that often have a lot to do with information you assume about the other players. This vagueness makes it difficult to give definitive reasons or places to Bluff. Some less generalized times to Bluff and some advice are given below. The bottom of the 130 page gives some more ideas and perspectives on deception in poker.
Some typical reasons to Bluff . . .
A. When there aren't many other players in a pot.
Simply put, it's easier to trick a couple people than a crowd.
With fewer hands out there, chances are better that no one has made a reasonable hand. This is fairly common though, so many players won't believe you. Some will stay in the hand just to ?keep you honest?, so sometimes this needs to be a persistent Bluff over a period of two or three betting rounds. That can be costly if they don't fall for it. You need to know the players before you use this type of Bluff.
B. When you're up against fairly tight players.
Those that tend to fold easily are the biggest targets of a Bluff.
Bets will be put out just as a form of information gathering on this player's hand. If you Bluff early (pre-flop, flop) against a very tight player and they don't buckle, you should think twice about trying it again on a future round. They have something. Your job is to determine whether they have a made or drawing hand. Once again, you need to know the players.
C. On the river.
Especially if apparent drawing hands missed. That's when players react to rule #1 ?the moment you know you can't win, throw in your cards?. It is often a good idea to Bluff with a weak hand, like ace-high or lowest pair with these kinds of Bluffs, because some 131 players will stay in just because of pot odds. If you do that, it is actually semi-Bluffing.
D. You're in late position and everyone else checked.
This one you'll have to gauge for yourself. It will most likely force some players out, but not all. This is a pretty common Bluff once again, and many players will stay in just because of bet odds, and/or to once again ?keep you honest?. This is another example of a Bluff that needs to be more persistent over a couple betting rounds.
E. You bet pre-flop and missed.
That's because they don't know you missed! This can be dangerous, and you really have to evaluate to board before you get into this one. Sometimes it's good to Bluff when AK misses, sometimes when 99 misses. You have to really feel this one out.
F. You have given other players ?the fear?.
It's about how other players perceive you. If you just won a hand through good play, the players who say ?nice hand? are the ones who now respect you. They will more likely fold to your Bluff if you play it right. The trick is to play the hand exactly the same way you played the other winning hand. Give it the ?here we go again? act.
G. When the flop isn't so great.
Some players will fold automatically if all they have is an over card. With a Rainbow flop of 2, 6, 9, not many players will have much. This is another example of a Bluff that can go horribly awry.
132 I wouldn't be too persistent in this case, unless only more low cards pop up. Once again, know your players.
H. Pre-flop on the button, and everyone else has folded.
This is usually best used with tight players to your left. It�s good because it can change from a Bluff to a deceptively good hand with luck and the right flop.
I. When there is a pair on the board.
This is especially useful when the pair is 88 or lower. Chances are that these cards might have been folded or are still in the deck.
This is one situation where you want to evaluate the hand very carefully if they do call though. This is a great situation to read the tells of the players who are NOT involved in the game. It's much easier to give away the fact that you HAD a card than if you HAVE it.
Keep in mind that these are pretty common reasons to Bluff. Many players know these reasons. Most of the time it just won't work.
The main thing is always to know your players and to not do it so often that it never works.
SEMI BluffING Semi-Bluffing is a sort of Bluff where you have a poor hand or a drawing hand that can possibly improve.
Against players with nothing it functions a lot like a Bluff. Against players with something it functions as a form of aggression. It is a powerful tool, as it can lead to a deceptively powerful hand if the 133 cards come to you. It can also be a source of great loss if overused or misused.
Semi-Bluffing in Texas Hold�em is used best in Bluffing situations.
Its usefulness comes from the fact that players who recognize a Bluff won't necessarily recognize when you make your draw. It is more useful (and preferable) against a lot of players, as opposed to outright Bluffing, since the odds tend to be better. Other than that, you'll want to use semi-Bluffing in late position, usually on the flop or turn, against mediocre flops, and against poor players.
Let's look at two examples of semi-Bluffing from a perspective of odds and from a perspective of Bluffing: 1. You have a Jack of Hearts, and a Ten of Hearts.
THE POCKET The pre-flop betting round concludes with six players investing two bets each. The flop is Ace of Hearts, Queen of Spades, Seven of Hearts.
You are in a middle position, and decide to semi-Bluff. Why? You've got draws, that's why! Any Heart or King will give you a hand. Whenever you have multiple draws like that, start thinking of what would be ideal. If a Heart pops up you have to worry 134 about a higher flush draw, so you probably want the King of Hearts, as he is the most likely to be in someone's hand. A Queen of Hearts would be dangerous for you, since you'd be looking at a Royal Flush draw vs. a potentially made Full House.
Ideally you want a non-Heart King and the straight. That would be the nuts.
For simplicity's sake let's say that in your evaluation, either a flush or straight will give you a winning hand.
You have twelve outs (don't count the King of Hearts twice). That's a little better than a 25% chance of hitting a winning card on the turn. Even re-raising or check-raising would be a good idea in this position based purely on odds. Even if you miss on the turn, it would be in your interests (based on players reactions) to continue to bet it right out.
2. You have a pair of sixes in the pocket.
THE POCKET Pre-flop eliminates all but you and another player who was in early position before you.
You get a Rainbow flop of Four, Five, Ten.