THE INFAMOUS RE-BLUFF! You don’t get too many re-bluffs to the pound and when you do they tend to only come up between top line professionals slugging it out over high stakes. So what is a re-bluff? It’s a quite sophisticated, highly risky move where an experienced player senses another player (usually one he has butted heads with on many occasions before) is making a move on a juicy pot with an almighty bluff. The suspicious player comes over the top at the bluffer with a bluff of his own. Why does this usually only happen between professionals? The reason is you need to have been playing poker for quite a while to unravel the way in which second and third guessing operates between competitors. Top players are often on the same circuit. They get to know the kind of dark acts other players are likely to pull and have a genuine “feel” for the levels within levels that operate when you’re trying to take down a really big pot. Only attempt this move if you’ve really got a “read” on your opponent.
PROVOKING A BLUFF Another poker move which again only works well when you have developed a real feel for how your opponents are playing is the “trap”. Setting a trap is faking an act of weakness when you are in fact holding a premium hand. Usually this is done by calling with the hope your opponent will do the heavy lifting and bet into you. This is not easy and requires a subtle approach to work well. You’ll know if you are any good at it if your opponent launches a badly advised bluff against you and steps into the jaws of your trap.
FREQUENTLY ASKED POKER QUESTIONS Q: Please explain the thinking behind a check-call strategy? A: You use a check-call as a weapon against very aggressive players who are always coming at you. You simply call down your opponent when you have the feeling they are bluffing. If your instincts are correct then your opponent has been donating free chips to you. If it turns out you’ve got it wrong, you’ve paid the cheapest price on offer to find out. Tight players love this strategy. It’s food and drink to them.
Q: It always seems to me that the positioning of the blinds more or less guarantees you’re going to lose. Is that your experience? A: It doesn’t have to be that way but all poker players will know exactly what you mean. Of course you are disadvantaged but it is a disadvantage shared equally. I have always held to the view that the blinds are really a tax. That’s my attitude to them. If I can win from the blinds it’s always an ego boost and a bonus.
Q: What are knaves or hooks? A: They are old poker terms for a pair of Jacks: J-J!
