22 What should a player do in a spot that is favorable for bluffing, however his hand is quite weak now, yet has some prospects on the following streets? In such cases, you can represent a strong made hand even though you don’t yet have one. This move is usually referred to as “semi-bluffing” and today we are going to discuss it in detail.
What is a Semi-bluff?
A semi-bluff is a bet with an unmade hand aiming at making opponents fold, but with a chance to improve in case someone stays in the pot. We are talking about having a draw (flush or straight draw). Unlike a pure bluff, after semi-bluffing you can still win on the showdown if you’re lucky enough to improve.
A classic example of semi-bluffing is betting with a flush or straight draw. Let’s say you have two hearts in your hand and two more are on the flop. You make a bet putting pressure on your opponents. Even if you are called by let’s say two pair, you still have decent chances to make a flush.
How to Semi-Bluff
Semi-bluffs allow you to seize the initiative in the hand. You can use it to stay aggressive. This is also a great way to protect your draw, which is an unmade hand yet.
With a semi-bluff, you also polarize your game, disguising strong hands. Many players will expect you to check your draws, so you can surprise people with sudden nuts and make them guess next time.
The best hands for semi-bluffing:
- OESD;
- Nut flush draw;
- Straight flush draw;
- Combo draw;
- Overcards;
- Double Belly Buster.
The worst hands for semi-bluffing:
- Weak flush draws like 2-7, 3-9, 5-2 and others;
- Weak straight draws (gutshots).
You can only semi-bluff on a flop or turn, because on the river, when all the common cards are revealed, you don’t have an opportunity to improve anymore. When you semi-bluff with OESD or a flush draw, you have more outs and more equity than with a gutshot, so the semi-bluff will be more profitable.
Types of Semi-bluffing
The most commonly semi-bluffed spot is flop cbet. Let’s imagine you raised the preflop with a decent hand. However, you didn’t hit the flop that well. If you play the flop passively, you may as well just give up, cause you are very likely to lose the pot. However, if you cbet as a bluff, you have a decent chance of maybe even 50-70% to take it down.
Semi-bluffing is not necessarily betting, could also be raising or check/raising. For example, your opponent, who is in early position, makes a bet on the flop. In response, you, having a good chance of improving on the following streets but no made hand yet, raise it. At first glance, it seems more reasonable to call the bet. However, in this situation, a semi-bluff gives you an additional chance to win the pot through fold equity (chances that villain folds).
Semi-bluff Examples
Let’s look at some practical examples and corresponding strategies for semi-bluffing:
Example #1: You raise the KQ preflop and the flop is A-J-6. This is a perfect opportunity for a semi-bluff. In addition to the fact that you have a nut draw, the board is great for your range, so the chances of stealing it are quite high.
Example #2: You are in a multiway pot with JT. The flop is 8-7-3, so 9 gives you a straight, and J or T give you the top pair. So you bet with a semi-bluff to make the rest of the table fold, while you still have a decent chance of improving if someone doesn’t want to fold yet.
Example #3: You have A4 on the Q-4-2 flop. You’ve made a middle pair with a top kicker and a flush draw. If you bet here you generate some fold equity, but if you are called, the chances of winning go down if you don’t make a flush on the turn. The advantage of this semi-bluff is that your opponent cannot assess the strength of your hand.
Now let’s take a closer look at one interesting example. You are in an early position and have a good chance to improve your hand. Of course, you can check and give one of your opponents the opportunity to bet. However, this way you show weakness and allow the villain to get a free card.
If the villain has a weaker draw or unmade hand he doesn’t want to bluff with, he will gladly take the free card. If he has a decent combination, he will definitely bet. And you have to call a bet with your draw. Now, without initiative, you can basically only hope to hit your draw to have any chances of winning the hand.
Now let’s consider the advantages of a semi-bluff in this situation:
- By making a bet, you do now give the villain a free card;
- By staying aggressive you keep initiative, so you can force the villain out of the pot later.
Your chances of winning increase because after you bet you also have fold equity in addition to your hand’s equity.
However, this is not all the advantages of a semi-bluff. This aggressive move can also help you get a free card on the next betting round. For example, you are semi-bluffing in late position. Several opponents call your bet, but the board card that comes does not improve your hand.
It is likely that your opponents, wary of your aggression, will likely check on the following street. So you have a choice whether to keep on semi-bluffing or take a free card.
How to Counter It?
In addition to the appropriate use of semi-bluff, a player also needs to be able to counter it. First, if you anticipate a semi-bluff when the villain bets, it is profitable to raise when you clearly have the strongest hand. And vice versa, if you have a weak hand, it is better to refuse to raise when you know that a semi-bluff is used against you.
When you have a hand with decent showdown value, it is often tempting to raise it when you expect a semi-bluff from your opponent. However, it is not the best way to play that hand. Quite often, it is better to simply call.
Let’s imagine such a situation. The board is T-9-5. You have QQ. You bet, villain calls. Another 5 comes on the turn. Villain bets. Re-raising here is a big mistake, especially if you go all-in eventually.
Even if you are 70% sure the villain is semi-bluffing, there are still chances he has a better hand. Here is why reraising will be a mistake:
- 50% of the time, you will win 80% of the pot;
- 50% of the time, you will win no more than 10% of the pot;
- Villain has a better range;
- 2/3 of the time you will have 80% to win;
- 1/3 of the time you will have just over 10% to win.
So are you good in this spot? Everything is good until the reraise. You can face a 3-bet without any information and you can very well be far behind. So even if you feel like the villain is often semi-bluffing, countering it with aggression is not the best way.
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Conclusion
Semi-bluffing is a great tool because it gives you the opportunity to win the pot in two ways (by knocking players out of the hand, or by making the best hand). Also, using a semi-bluff, you deprive your opponents of the opportunity to see the next card for free.
At the same time, using this aggressive move, you can get “buy” a free card yourself. Semi-bluffing makes your game more unpredictable. Use semi-bluffing wisely in appropriate situations. Be the best version of yourself and you will see how your bankroll will rapidly increase with each poker session. And with such a useful addition as hand history mining from HisHands, you will only increase your chances of winning!
