Lying is a part of life. Anybody who has ever needed to mainline Pepto Bismol after choking down a lethal pot roast, cooked by a surly mother-in-law knows that the truth would have been more painful and long lasting than the ensuing food poisoning. Those who play poker in a serious manner know that the only way to succeed at the game is to be a highly skilled liar - of course we just call it bluffing. How big a part of the game should bluffing be though?
Over the years extreme bluffing has become part of the landscape of the game. Most of this is because a lot of internet players wield the bluff in much the same manner that Jason Voorhies uses a machete when confronted with a group of oversexed co-eds. How does an aggressive player know when an opponent is using some poker jiu-jitsu to turn the tables on them and what do they do when they have figured out that a trap is being set?
In the old days, players who bluffed from before the flop all the way to the river were very rare. Today this is much more common. Many of the old guard has figured out a way to deal with this - they wait for a good hand and check-call all the way down to the river. They sacrifice the practice of exposing the bluffer.
If you suspect that someone is doing this, you play their game and try to ferret out their good cards. When they check, don't take the bait. They are trying to project weakness so that you will raise. Well in this case project some weakness of your own (if you are bluffing, this will be your shining moment of honesty). In many cases this will confuse them into not just checking on the next hand, but betting or raising. By giving up on the projection of weakness and taking the offensive, they are exposing the possibility that they are working with a legit hand. The proper response here is to fold and save yourself some money.
Good Luck!
Contact usTerms and ConditionsCopyright © 2004-2009 LaunchPoker. All rights reserved
