No Limit Texas Holdem Poker Semi Bluff
De CidesaWiki
A much more effective weapon to have in your poker arsenal than the 'stone cold hope your opponent folds' bluff, is the semi bluff. Everybody sees the bluffs made by pro players on ESPN where they had 2-5 off suit and took down a pot that had an Ace on the board, by bluffing and getting the other player to fold. Nevertheless , the semi-bluff is more of a bluff that you make when you hit 'part' of your hand and also you are pretty sure your opponent hit nothing. Let me explain to you what I mean.
You have A-7 suited in the Big Blind and so are able to check to see a flop. The flop then comes K-7-6 rainbow. You found middle pair with top kicker. That is a hand that you can make a stab at using what I call a semi-bluff. If your opponent(s) doesn't hold a King, your bet makes it seem like you do have one, thus completing the mentality of the bluff. However , the semi-bluff can perhaps work to your advantage because you still have 'live' cards or the possibility of hitting your hand should you get a call. A� You get the very best of both worlds. If another 7 hits on the turn or river you have made your hand. If an Ace hits, you have probably made your hand as well, so you can confidently bet this hand and not be terribly worried if you obtain a call.
In comparison, on what I call a 'naked' bluff, if you get a call or a raise from your own opponent, you are probably likely to have to shut it down unless you think you can bluff him on another street. If you have nothing and he calls your bluff, you are in some trouble. If you are making a semi-bluff, then you do have some options and may want to continue in the hand.
The same goes for hands where you have a big draw. Let's say you are holding 6s-7s (suited) and the flop comes Ks-8s-9h. If you bet here is it a bluff? Sure, you have nothing but a 7-high in your hand. However , it's a semi-bluff because you have an up and down straight draw plus the flush draw giving you 17 cards that could hit your hand. This is a great time to throw a bet at this pot because your probability of hitting a card that will make your hand are so high.
Especially in online poker where many times you are never sure what array of cards your opponents will be playing, I like to use the semi-bluff higher than a naked bluff. Obviously, this could depend on the game you are playing, or the point you have reached in a tournament, but overall, the naked bluff looks great on TELEVISION, but carries a lot of risk when it is used in judi online poker play.
