semi bluffing in limit hold 'em

I doubt this post will be anything new to an experienced limit player, but it may help some new players. The limit semi bluff is something I knew very little about until recently when I watched a whole lot of Bryce’s HU videos. (for those who don’t know Bryce he’s a very successful high stakes limit HU player) There was really no need for it in the games I was in which featured multi way pots with many passive players who will generally go to showdown no matter what. So when I’d get a good draw I’d just call down hoping to hit - boring but effective.
Lately in the higher stakes 6 max games (5/10) pots are HU much more often with tight aggressive players and being aggressive with draws becomes a lot more viable. When it comes to pure HUHU play and huge hand ranges, semi bluffing is absolutely essential if you want to win.

On the flop
This is the most straightforward place to do it and indeed it should be pretty standard to raise a draw here if you’re heads up regardless of the board. Even if you think it’s almost certain your opponent has hit, you have huge equity and if there’s a chance you’ll get a fold on the turn, it’s worth raising.

Eg:
A very aggressive stealer open raises from the button, this could be a 50+% hand range. You call in the BB with 8h 6h
Flop: 5d 7c As
You check, he bets, you should raise here and lead any turn. He may fold a hand like KJ QT etc. If he 3 bets, you should ask what your image is like and whether he might be trying to scare you off by representing an Ace he doesn’t have. I really wouldn’t mind capping with such great equity and still leading the turn, if there’s a chance he was rebluffing your bluff, you’ll blow him off on the turn.

Things are a little different in multi way pots. If a preflop raiser leads into 3 -4 players, he’s far more likely to have the goods, if you’re in position you can now raise for value if the pot has more than 3 players in it and take a free card on the turn. (please read Ed Millers SSH for more on this)

Turn

This is where things get interesting, you can’t just randomly raise any draw since your equity is much less than a draw on the flop and you need to pick your spots. You need to know your opponents tendencies, how likely is he to fire with air? how tight is he? can he fold A high? what is my image like? ie am I likely to be called down lightly because I’ve been caught semi bluffing in other pots?

Eg: A tight aggressive player opens from the CO, you call in the BB with Jh Th.
Flop: 9h 6d 5c. You check call with overcards and backdoor straight and flush draws.
Turn: 7h. you check raise. The tight player could be betting into perceived weakness with a hand like KQ trying to fold out a small pair or A hi and fold to raise on a rather scary board. He may even decide to fold A hi there and then thinking he could be drawing dead. (although you have to consider how likely he is to have bet A high rather than just taking a free turn card). If you get called and miss the river, you have a decision to make of how likely he is to have a made hand or a hand like A high he’s decided to call down with or perhaps he was on a draw himself and may fold to a river bet unimproved. Think of his entire range and even if draws make up a small part, you may have a profitable river bet given the size of the pot. There is no better thrill in poker than taking down a big pot with 5 high on the river

3 betting the turn

There’s a fine line here between a good bet and total spewage, and I’m trying to get it right but it’s not easy as it goes against natural poker instincts. Bryce really blew my mind with the plays he makes on the turn. This is far more applicable to Heads up play where opponents are far more aggressive, raise the turn very light and very often with draws.
Eg:
You’re in the SB with 9c 7c, and open raise, BB calls

Flop: 6c 5d Qh. BB checks, you bet and he calls.

Turn: 3c. BB checks, you bet, he raises. Now he can be raising here with a very wide range. He may have waited for the turn to check raise a Q, or he could have turned a monster, but it’s also very likely he peeled the flop and picked up a draw with a 4 or a flush draw. Combo counting becomes very important here in determining your equity against his range. You’ll find that there are often more draw combo’s than 2 pair + combos. This could be a very good spot to 3 bet and bet the river unimproved. An alternative could be to just call the turn and bluff raise the river if it bricks.
In a bluffing contest, the guy who bluffs last, wins - don’t be the guy that gets bluffed last!

Rapala: You’re in the SB with 9c 7c, and open raise, BB calls

Flop: 6c 5d Qh. BB checks,

I just hate it when the SB has position...



But good post. Very dangerous weapon to have in your arsenal, the semi bluff. The good ol', CR your draw on the flop is very basic but very efficient. The other more agressive semi-bluffs i wouldn't, like you said, apply when your opponents aren't that agressive.

May the bluff be with you!

Rapala thanks for the great strategy post looks to be a for sure nomination for the June post of the month contest.

Imo turn play is what separates many of the average to good players from the great and legendary players. The part about the 3 bet turn raise having a fine line between a good bet and spewage because it goes against poker instinct was interesting to me. I found that after reading many books and watching many videos that plays are only feel uncomfortable for a period of time, but once there in your arsenal they become instinctive.

I’m not exactly sure I worded or explained that right, but the situation I’ve experienced: often times when my cousin, part time roommate, is here he’ll site down and watch me play for a while and will often look at me all perplexed asking wtf are you doing? It’ll usually take me a few minutes to explain the thought process in a hand because it occurs so naturally now.

Anyways excellent post, thanks for sharing that.

I just watched a Bryce video that is the sickest I have ever seen. He's playing 30/60 6 max limit and just completely destroys his opponents all of whom are very good players.
This hand was my highlight:

Bryce is in BB with Qd9d, BTN raises, SB 3 bets and Bryce knowing that their ranges are very wide here caps to retain his fold equity.
flop comes 4d 6s 6c. SB checks, he bets, both call.
turn: 3s . SB checks, he bets knowing they're not likely to have hit, BTN folds and SB raises.

At this point Bryce reasons that his opponents likely range is divided between a few monsters like turned boat with 33, trip 6's being unlikely as they would more likely have raised flop. SB's more likely range is in fact draws, a turned flush draw or straight draw or even a pure bluff. On this reasoning, he 3 bets and barrels a blank river, and SB folds with Bryce picking up a very nice pot with Q high.

The guy is a poker god.