Win by Confusion

Posted by wynn on Mar 23, 2010 in Great Reads, Table Talk | 0 comments

I am in a no limit game the other day. Fairly solid table.

There was a small raise from early position that I called on the button with 3-3.

The flop comes 5-4-2 rainbow.

My opponent makes a small bet.

I call with the open-ended straight draw.

The turn is my money card: an Ace.

My opponent hesitates, then bets the pot.

With this player, I figure the only way to get paid is to confuse him.

“I am all-in,” I declare.

I choose not to put the chips in the middle. My goal is to represent weakness. Shoving the chips into the pot shows strength.

“You have a three?”

“I actually have two threes. Got an extra one just in case,” I tell him.

“Why are you being so nice?” he asks.

“Why don’t you lay down your Ace Queen?” I reply. “Would you like to see one of my cards? Go ahead. Pick one.”

This is a good player. I just know he is completely confused.

First, I called his hand. He knows he is dead to a three hitting on fifth street.

He is also thinking that I may be bluffing him off the hand since I did call his hand. Besides, why go all-in with the stone cold nuts with a player drawing dead? That move by me is completely opposite to the table image I have built for three hours.

I get what I want. A call.

My opponent sees the bad news and shows me Ace-Queen.

I won by confusing my opponent with a combination of a completely unexpected play and by calling his hand blind.