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THOMAS KELLER
Given up on the delayed bluff. I would have folded my hand, figuring that my opponent had a real hand or caught a piece of the flop, and a bluff would be too risky to attempt. By going for a delayed bluff in this scenario instead of raising on the flop, I would save whatever amount of chips I would have raised on the flop.
Also, let’s say a 4, 5, or diamond flush draw comes on the turn and my opponent checks. Now, I have options of either semi- bluffing the turn, since I have picked up a draw, or checking, hoping to make a very big hand on the river. If I decide to check the turn and I miss on the river, I still leave myself the option of bluffing on the river, depending of course on what my opponent does in front of me and what card comes on the river.
So, let’s say that you would like to incorporate the delayed bluff into your arsenal of no-limit hold’em plays. When performing this play, the most important factor to consider is against whom you are going to attempt it. This bluff works best against players who exhibit a very typical betting pattern in no-limit hold’em. This pattern is one of almost always betting the flop if they raised preflop. These players are fairly easy to recognize if you pay attention to how your opponents play. They are ideal for a delayed bluff, since they will bet into you on most any flop, whether or not they have made a hand.
Assuming that you call their flop bet, most players who bet with this pattern will often give up on the hand and check the turn if they are weak, putting you in position to make your bluff! However, be wary of trying to make a delayed bluff against very aggressive players who may fire out another bet on the turn with weak cards, which will mess up the play you are trying to set up. Also, do not attempt this play against players who call down with really weak hands or are too inexperienced to be able to put you on a hand. You can’t read someone who doesn’t even know what he is holding, so it is best not to try to bluff him.
The delayed bluff is a beautiful play, in that when it is performed correctly, it really convinces your opponent that you have a certain hand. The K-8-3 rainbow flop is a great one on which to attempt a delayed bluff, because when you call your opponent’s bet, there are no reasonable draws that you could have, so your opponent must assume that you have connected with the flop and probably have a pair of kings or even a set. Many players are capable of raising on the flop with nothing and trying to get their opponent to fold right then, but few are capable of calling with nothing to set up a bluff later in the hand. In the next issue, I will continue to discuss the nuances of the delayed bluff.
