The Best –Laid Plans

Although to admit this in a public forum might do me some harm at the tables, I have been working on my bluffs. Maybe it was Sklansky who pointed out that a successful bluff must tell a believable story. It must be convincing.

Poker Academy Online #39,328,436
No Limit Texas Holdem ($1/$2 NL)
Table Feldspar
September 16, 2008 - 02:09:29 (PDT)

1} bastin $182.70 9s Qd
2) wake-540 $162.35 ?? ??
5) 986 * $487.80 6c Jc
6) Empty Chair $18.00 ?? ??
10) SilverHands (sitting out)

Empty Chair posts small blind $1
bastin posts big blind $2
wake-540 calls $2
986 calls $2
Empty Chair folds
bastin checks

FLOP: 5d 8s Jd
bastin checks
wake-540 checks
986 bets $7

With the preflop limp and the overbet on the flop, 986 is trying to protect his J.

bastin raises $10.50

My check/raise is meant to indicate one of two things: I also have a J, probably with a pretty good kicker, or I’m building the pot and betting the draw.

wake-540 folds

It also gets wake out of the hand. 986 is a solid player, wake is a little bit of a loose cannon.

986 calls $10.50

TURN: 5d 8s Jd 7d

A perfect card. I still have my gutshot, and now I’ve picked up a flush draw as well. Little do I realize that 986 now has a straight draw.

bastin checks
986 bets $21
bastin raises $42

986 went into the tank for quite some time. I could have anything, right? A set, two pair, the flush…

986 folds

bastin wins $82 uncontested
$2 raked.

I show the bluff.

Seven hands later:

Poker Academy Online #39,328,443
No Limit Texas Holdem ($1/$2 NL)
Table Feldspar
September 16, 2008 - 02:13:15 (PDT)

1} bastin $217.20 9d Td
2) wake-540 * $156.05 ?? ??
5) 986 $448.70 Qs 9s
6) Empty Chair $24.95 ?? ??

986 posts small blind $1
Empty Chair posts big blind $2
bastin raises $5
wake-540 folds
986 calls $6
Empty Chair folds

FLOP: 8d 7s 3s
986 bets $8
bastin calls $8

TURN: 8d 7s 3s Jd
986 bets $16
bastin raises $32
986 raises $64
bastin raises $90.20 (all-in)
986 calls $90.20
bastin shows 9d Td
986 shows Qs 9s

RIVER: 8d 7s 3s Jd 4s
986 wins $434.40 with a Flush, Queen High
$2 raked.

The outcome sucked. Still, I think the earlier bluff accomplished what I wanted it to. My mistake on the last hand might have been not shoving on the turn, however, I have mixed feelings about this.