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Three More No-Limit Plays That Give Away Your Hand

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All poker players like to think they’re sneaky, but some aren’t quite as unpredictable as they think. Last issue I discussed three “giveaway” plays that will tell your opponents what kind of hand you have, at least if they’re paying attention. In this column I have three more giveaway plays for you to look for when you play.

The Fooling Around Raise

This play has been around forever. I saw it in limit hold’em games, and now I see it again in no-limit games. Only a few players do it, but those who do tend to do it again and again. I’ll call it the “fooling around” raise.

Here’s how it goes in no-limit. Some guy limps in. Or maybe he calls a regular-sized raise. Then another player behind him raises. There might be a call or two, and then our original caller decides to reraise. But it’s not a big reraise (that might imply a big hand). It’s a small raise, perhaps a min-raise. Yesterday in a $1-$2 game I saw this “fool around raiser” call for $2, and then when it was $12 back to him, he made it $22 to go. He had pocket threes.

Then I saw him, after a $10 raise and a call, make it $20 to go. He had J-9 that time.

Then he limped in for $2, and I made it $15 with pocket queens. A tight player called from the blind (very likely a small or medium pocket pair or A-K). The fooler around made it $30 to go. I reraised $60 more. The tight player whined about wanting to see a flop and folded. Then the fooler around grinned and folded.

I’ve seen these “fooling around” raises regularly as long as I’ve been playing. Again, only a small percentage of players do them, but those who do tend to do them regularly. They usually choose drawing hands such as connectors or small pocket pairs. Be on the lookout. They are very exploitable, so if you find a fooler around in your game, rejoice.

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6 Responses to “Three More No-Limit Plays That Give Away Your Hand”

DiamondDog
@ Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:31:00 PM
1

Another good article, Ed.
Many Thanks.

Deadmoneywalking
@ Fri Feb 29, 2008 07:06:02 PM
2

I often wonder about that play in limit. Is there any reason to limp reraise unless you have AKs in a passive game?

BTR
@ Fri Feb 29, 2008 08:04:54 PM
3

DeadMoney, in a tight limit game an under the gun raise screams I have a big hand, sometimes a limp can get a couple of calls and a raise allowing a 3 bet. The limp reraise usually kills the action there but in a super tight game sometimes that’s the only way to get action with big hands out of position.

degenerate bluffer
@ Sat Mar 01, 2008 07:01:55 AM
4

Good post as usual Ed.

I was thinking a little bit more why the speech is rarely if ever made before a bluff. It is likely because speeches correspond to a situation where bluffing is basically unadvisable. For example if you take up a bluff to try and push off a made flush that would be pointless. Because even if you could convince the player holding a flush that you had a better hand, maybe even a better flush it is still unlikely that they will fold because they rightly perceive their own hand as very strong. It would be an unreasonably tight player who would automatically lay down a king high flush just because the board is paired. And even I if had the stones to try and represent a full house against a made flush I would be shocked if someone actually showed that they laid down a flush. I may be a degenerate bluffer, but I am not stupid.

Also, as a corollary ask your self why a speech is never made when someone turns over top pair top kicker on a safe board. Because it would be silly. So one of the few places where you could pull off a bluff giving a speech would just be odd.

Therefore the speech almost always means the nuts.

But it is an interesting point. Next time I play I might make a speech and bluff into a made flush. At the very least when I turn over my 72 offsuit to the king high flush it can serve as an advertising play.

QTip
@ Sat Mar 01, 2008 04:24:52 PM
5

I would enjoy seeing some discussion on how to exploit these tendencies.

Obviously the speech behooves us to fold.

However, the playful raise, when should we look at repopping or playing postflop or whatever?

Also, the nervous UTG raise, should we perhaps cc and wait for a K high flop and give preasure or reraise PF or whatever.

Any thoughts?

PokerShark
@ Tue Jun 01, 2010 02:41:44 PM
6

Nice work here, blog is just outstanding. Would gladly recommend to others. Or maybe I don’t tell how to bluffing :P

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