SCENARIO 64
THE STEAL BLUFF
It is late in the poker tournament with twenty players left at three shorthand tables. The tournament pays eighteen places. You are one of the top three chip leaders with $25,000 in chips. The other players at your table have mostly short and medium stacks. The blinds are now $400-$800 and your opponents are playing poker tight, in the hope that they can make it into the money. One of the medium stacks is in the big blind and a fairly short stack is in the small blind.
Everyone has passed to you sitting in the cutoff seat thinking shifting (one seat in front of the button). You look down to find:
What's Your Move?
A. Call the $800 big blind
B. Fold
C. Raise to about $3,000
Analysis
All you have is a six-high hand, but you know that the big blind will not call a large unless he has a premium poker hand. The short stack in the small blind is likely to fold in order to give himself another entire round to find a good hand to put his gaming money in with. Even if he does have a strong enough hand to call you, you might still get lucky and out-flop him.
The Strategy We Suggest
You know that the short stack can't hurt you too much even if he calls your raise and wins the pot. With little to risk, this is a good time to try to steal the blinds ©.
SCENARIO 65
THE SEMI-BLUFF- 2
You are in the middle stage of tournament with a $50 ante and blinds of $200-$400. You have a below average stack of about $2,900 in chips. There is $1,100 in the pot before the card game are dealt. You are two seats away from the button. You have a tight image at the table. Everyone has folded so far.
Your hand is pocket fives, a hand that is very vulnerable to both overcards and a bigger pair.
What's Your Move?
A. Fold and wait for a better hand.B. Call the minimum bet and hope to hit a set on the flop
C. Make a standard raise of three to four times the size of the big blind
D. Move all in
Analysis
With a tight table image, it is easier for you to attempt to pick up the blinds and antes without a premium hand. You are in late position with a small pair, a hand that may be good at the moment but which can easily get beaten if you don't flop a five. If you make a standard raise, about half of your chips would be committed to the pot knowing bluff, and if somebody else raises Behind you, you would most likely call.
The Strategy We Suggest
Moving in (D) is the best play in this situation. You still have enough chips to make a sizeable raise. Further, nobody can attempt to steal the pot from you after the flop if all your chips are already in the pot limit poker.
You are sitting in a middle position with: