I think this thread is one of the best threads on FTR. I wanted to bump it because my understanding of Shania is much greater now and I have more to offer.

Quote Originally Posted by Massimo
New point that came to my head:

I didn't really understand what i was talking about in the OP because i wasn't thinking about the nut hands. Bluffing doesn't really get added equity from nut hands because conversely it takes away value from nut hands. Nut hands are obviously going to add value to your range because they always take down the pot whether or not someone calls for folds.

Now this is really confusing me and this came from a discussion with mcat:

In a given situation, you should either be bluffing or value betting 100% of the time to make the "optimal" play, depending on what your opponent is more likely to do. Balancing a range may still be profitable but it is less profitable then the optimal play. What balancing a range does is try to sway your opponent in a certain direction, so balancing a range will only be optimal when it significantly changes your opponents range to a point where he's making a much bigger mistake (ie, calling much more than he would have).

Does this sound right?
It's important people understand the goal of poker. The goal is to have the greatest +EV of dollars of Shania. In other words, to win the most money. There are two ways to increase the amount of money you will win in poker. One is you make a play that over long term will make you money. The other way is to make a play that will increase the EV other plays/hands/situations greater than the lost EV of that play.

I think the definition of balance in poker is not just forming a range that has made hands and bluffs. A range of all bluffs is balanced, and a range of all made hands is balanced in their own way. There are spots where I want a range consisting of all air/weak hands, and its not just a spot where I'm bluffing and I feel like opp is folding 100%. This is also a common spot where I would balance my range with all air. Opp raises lp I call from the blinds. Flop checks through. If I felt like op has a check behind range of some air and some made hands, but will never bet the turn without a made hand, and will check all his air... I will balance my turn checking range by checking all air and very weak hands, and betting everything else.

There are so many reasons I do this: If he checks the turn behind i can bet river as a bluff, i can fold if he bets, etc. But the one reason I do this that is most important to me has to do with Shania.

Shania says the more hands I play that increase overall profit the more I win. I can do this by simply playing more hands. Made hands can win pots on their own, but the air cannot win on its own. One way air can win is by forcing an opponent to fold a better hand. But another way air can win is by putting it in a range that is strong, especially very strong. I'm doing this so I can form stronger ranges in spots where it is more profitable, and I'm doing it so I can put bluff more profitably in other spots.

Hope this helped.