Inducing a Bluff

In general, I’ve found that my opponents at mid-stakes no limit are quite passive: they don’t make a lot of big bluffs, and they aren’t very good at value betting thin. In a lot of ways, this makes them easy to play against, but it generally means that when I want to play a big pot, I have to do the betting myself. Aside from whatever other drawbacks slowplaying may have, I just can’t count on my opponents to build a big enough pot even when they think they have the best hand.

However, I do from time to time run into some overly aggressive players, and I often can induce them to bluff at me. The key is to do it in a way that will invite them to make big bluffs instead of small ones. Had I just checked my set, I would give my opponent to make a smaller bluff or play for pot control if he has a little something. By leading weak instead, I keep building the pot at least a little bit just in case he does try for a cheap showdown, and I force him to bluff big if he’s going to bluff at all:

Full Tilt Poker No-Limit Hold’em, $4 BB (4 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

UTG ($400)
Button ($409.50)
SB ($1361.70)
Hero ($400)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 3s, 3c.
UTG raises to $14, 2 folds, Hero calls $10.

Flop: ($30) 3h, Qs, 7d (2 players)
Hero bets $21, UTG calls $21.

Turn: ($72) Kc (2 players)
Hero bets $45, UTG calls $45.

River: ($162) 3d (2 players)
Hero bets $70, UTG raises to $320 (All-In), Hero calls $250 (All-In).

Final Pot: $802