Best Hand to Bluff With?

[Roger]

I play at .05/.10 PL Rings.

When I get suited connectors in the 5-10 range I like to bet big, bet as if I had AA AK etc., I will re raise, raises, and such. This strategy seems to work well a few times. The opponents think i have big cards, and they bet at me, and I get some decent pots out of it.

If a and A or K drop, and I bet, the other seem to fold, If not I bet, and get callers, and maybe the board helps my little cards out.

I'm not sure how well this strategy works in the long run, but what do you guys think?

[Greedo017]

sounds good so long as you don't find yourself losing big pots too. you're going to get burned when you actually are up against good hands, but if you can get away from those hands early and you generally win otherwise, you'll get some big pots when you actually hit too, then go for it.

[jmontis]

I never really like bluffing big pots, I'll semi-bluff people by setting them all in when I have a monster draw, but trying to take a huge pot from someone on a pure bluff is not wise, especially in weak/loose games.

[pokerfanatic]

Ok I have a few interesting insights to this situation, at .05/.10 PL I don't think that a bluff would be real profitable over the long run unless it is into a weak passive player that you KNOW will fold, not think KNOW... so lets say you bluff with AJ-K unimproved each time you get it, you will probably get called by the typical loose play at so low stakes that you bluff turns into -EV. So why make the play? also there is no specific hand that is "the best" to bluff with, if the situation calls for it due to a lot of factors other then your hand and you think that it will work (when bluffing you have ONE way of winning THEY FOLD), given that they do what you want them to do, but lets be realistic, you'll most likely get called 90% the time you do it so why not wait for a bettor spot and not waste any money? I personally don't play PL, but I do however play limit, and at .05/.10 it's literally no foldem holdem I think I have won 3 hands out of 600 without a showdown... even at the NL games at the same level you see like 4 to 8 players AI preflop... this is just gambling straight up, the luckiest mother fucker wins...

[DoGGz]

I'm not sure this really would be profitable in the long run. Online low limit it is so hard to really bluff a player out.

[Admerylous]

27o, technically. What other value does it have?
Do you catch my drift?

EDIT:
I have now actually read more than just the subject of the thread. I guess my statement isn't nearly as relevant now, but my drift is still there.

[Superior]

I like bluffing with AA.

[whiska]

your suited connector theory is good, i use it too- but i either win small or loose big... u win small a lot, and sometimes u catch a flush or st8 draw and will be betting it like u had a high pocket, u get a caller all the way down and miss...then u gotta figure out what to do! i hate getting myself into this position w/ connectors or suites so i pick my spots.

[Chicago_Kid]

your suited connector theory is good

Generally, I don't like this strategy, unless you are talking about AKs or KQs. Your implied odds aren't THAT good (a) against few opponents (since you raised) and (b) with PL as opposed to NL. You're gonna end up with a lot of draws, and even when you hit big, the amount you win is capped by the pot amnt OR you could even end up second best.

I do this with pocket pairs as the implied odds are better...a 3-5x BB bet can disguise a set really well when you hit against a big pair.

Do you have PT data to show profitability with these hands? I'd be interested to see how they've played out for you...

[storm75m]

i agree with pokerfanatic, there aren't particular cards that you can bluff with... bluffing is ENTIRELY about the situation. No one else knows your cards anyway, and you're bluffing so they fold so they should NEVER see your cards, so it doesn't really matter what you have in the pocket. It's about what cards you are trying to portray, and having an idea of what cards your up against. And remember, you should rarely be bluffing into more than one opponent in the first place. The value of a bluff goes straight down the toilet when playing online as opposed to live, especially in the lower limits, cause frankly, people are dumbasses and will call anything.

[a500lbgorilla]

Bluffing isn't about hands, it's about situations.

-'rilla

[Sed]

Bluffing isn't about hands, it's about situations.

amen brothers -rillla and storm

- sed

[twosevoff]

Like rilla said, with bluffing the only thing that matters is the situation, specifically you should have a relatively strong reason to believe you're going to fold out your opponent. That being said, my favorite hand to run a stone cold bluff on is 23o, since it's such a dismal hand and when I show it after bluffing someone out I usually have the worst possible hand. I also like to raise in MP and LP with suited connectors and then rep the flop, though I wouldn't suggest reraising them preflop.

Bluffing doesn't have to work all the time, or even most of the time to be profitable. It's all pot odds: if a pot-size bet will fold out an opponent more than half the time, then it's a +EV play. A half pot-size bluff only has to fold out the other guy 1/4 of the time to be profitable. As long as you are breaking even or even nearly breaking even on your bluffs, then you're bluffing well. If you rarely get your bluffs called down (or just plain avoid bluffing), then you're not bluffing enough. A lot of the value from bluffing comes from advertising: it's good to have your big bluffs snapped off sometimes since it will help you get your big hands paid off in the future.

[Roger]

Hey guys thanks for the input. I maybe should have stated best cards used to represent premium cards.

I don't use poker tracker so I can't provide stats, I'm working my way out of the .05/.10 tables, but there's not much action at the .12/.25 PL tables where i play.

I'm not sure why i play pot limit, i'm pretty sure since it pot liimit, I feel i can't lose all my money (even though I have been broke a good number of times). I'll have to work my mental issues out of pot limit.

thanks again for the thoughts.