Play of the Day - Mini-Raise/Continuation Bluff

[silverfist]

I take a ton of notes during play, and one thing I like to note is people who are very honest preflop. That is, they won't call unless they really have a hand. If I can isolate them preflop without position, I can usually steal the pot. In this case, he was already isolated by the time that action came to me. I massaged the pot, added some fear (mini-raises are actually scarier than big raises), and then bet the flop. It's a tiny move, but if I do it three or four times in a tournament, I can make about a thousand. I would have done this with any two cards:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (4 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

saw flop|saw showdown

Button (t2980)
SB (t3005)
Silverfist (t6530)
UTG (t985)

Preflop: Silverfist is BB with 7, 9.
1 fold, Button calls t150, 1 fold, Silverfist raises to t300, Button calls t150.

Flop: (t675) 4, Q, K (2 players)
Silverfist bets t350, Button folds.

Final Pot: t1025
Main Pot: t675 (t675), won by Silverfist.
Pot 2: t350 (t350), returned to Silverfist.

[salsa4ever]

u have a big stack on the bubble with a tiny stack

without taking any notes I'd know to push any two. I just push it pre-flop; why give him a chance to hit something and u lose ur chip lead?

first learn to play ABC poker. Which is: "if my stack is huge on the bubble and there's a tiny stack push with any 2 no matter what (almost)"... then you'll get good enough to play $30+3 and above. Then you can do your "plays" and you'll have thinking opponents to pull them off against.

P.S. if u had such a read on a player when ur stack is like 1500 with 7 players left, then it would have been a good play. But then, take away ur big stack and the fact the bubble's about to burst, and u might get raised instead of fold.

[Scuba Chuck]

I think your c-bet is standard here.

[Fortune 500]

Chuck is right... you want to keep your C-bets generally in the 1/2 to 3/4 pot range. This is a LITTLE under that... but I don't know I'd call it a "play."

[gabe]

without taking any notes I'd know to push any two. I just push it pre-flop; why give him a chance to hit something and u lose ur chip lead?
.

blinds are too small.

[vqc]

without taking any notes I'd know to push any two. I just push it pre-flop; why give him a chance to hit something and u lose ur chip lead?
.

blinds are too small.

note hte baby stack
not to say I dont think that blinds are too small, but note the baby stack...

[silverfist]

u have a big stack on the bubble with a tiny stack

without taking any notes I'd know to push any two. I just push it pre-flop; why give him a chance to hit something and u lose ur chip lead?

first learn to play ABC poker. Which is: "if my stack is huge on the bubble and there's a tiny stack push with any 2 no matter what (almost)"... then you'll get good enough to play $30+3 and above. Then you can do your "plays" and you'll have thinking opponents to pull them off against.

P.S. if u had such a read on a player when ur stack is like 1500 with 7 players left, then it would have been a good play. But then, take away ur big stack and the fact the bubble's about to burst, and u might get raised instead of fold.

That can't possibly be ABC poker.

Why would I put half my stack at risk to win two BB? With this play, I win three, and risk only two. If this play only works 40% of the time, I come out ahead. It works far more than that and works at any point in the tournament, not just on the bubble.