Most poker resources suggest you give your opponents as little information as possible, but what about advertising? I've shown a good portion of my big bluffs lately and I'm still unsure about its effect. It's such a subtle effect that I can't pinpoint it. I'm certainly not getting the impression that everyone instantly turns into a station. If I'm the type of player that is willing to pull some big bluffs, should I be showing and tightening up or just keep all the information to myself and assume they'll feel exploited and call lighter when I have value. It sometimes felt like they expected me to have a value hand after I showed a big bluff - so I got less action than normal. However, this is just an impression and I could easily be wrong.
I never show my cards - ever. I just don't think that you can predict the adjustments an opponent might make against you in these spots. I personally feel that it is often the ego that convinces us to want to show our cards and not for any strategic edge. Showing cards is giving information. If you pulled off a big bluff do you not want to continue to do so? Stations aren't always that much fun to play against especially if you are an aggressive player. If you could predict what effect showing your cards would have there may be merit to this but showing a big fold. the nuts or a big bluff can all cause your opponent to deviate from their basic strategy. I'd rather have my opponents keep playing me the same way and not switch gears etc.Just an opinion.MW
While I was still playing at Cereus, I've often seen people show big laydowns (the software has a "Fold & Show" button) both pre- and post-flop. These were often people who think they're super intelligent while in fact, they gave away very valuable information for no reason.For instance, I've seen people 3bet / fold QQ pre a lot - and one guy even donk/folded bottom set on a monochrome connected flop. I could never figure out what they were trying to accomplish with that.I have "auto muck" enabled and just never show anything.
I'd never want to show a big laydown since I want my opponent to think that he can't bluff me. That way, he'll play straightforward and be easier to handle. However, I'm hoping that showing big bluffs will make them call my big bets more often. While I don't stop making big bluffs, I weight my range to about 70% value and so I wan't them to call overall.Do you guys call more after an opponent shows a big bluff?
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What if your opponent is generally aggressive and bluffs a bit too much but in this specific instance you know he has you beat?It would make sense, at least to me, that showing a big laydown there would encourage more bluffing in general which could be very valuble.Just a theory though, I'm testing your statement of not wanting to ever show a big laydown (I personally find it easier to just ignore the decision of showing, I don't think I have a lot of EV to gain from it and there's plenty of other variables in the match I need to constantly focus on).
Showing big bluffs tends to tilt some players and often hurts their ego. Feeling exploited, many decide to run their own big bluffs just to show you they can too and to get back the chips you stole.Your opponents won't see a big laydown as them being exploited and unless they're absurdly tight, rightly so. In fact, big laydowns may make them bluff you less because they can think you're getting fed-up and sending a warning to them. It's a tacit message that they got you to lay down a big hand now but later... watch out.I've always been extremely pleased to see players show me big laydowns because it tells me a lot about how to value bet better and how they think about poker. On the other hand, I've been leveld a few times against players who only show bluffs - such as sat purush.
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Well, you have to carefully think about how showing a big laydown will change their ranges.For instance, I often see people check back in standard valuebet situations after the board texture changed significantly. Prime example: they have a strong hand such as two pair or a set, I check/call their cbet on the flop, and when the turn completes the flush draw, they check back two streets.If you see this from good opponents (who do know how to valuebet their hands), this usually means that they're overly scared of people hitting their draws on them - most likely they had some bad experience in the past with them valuebetting turns and rivers where their opponents already hit their draws.If they're also aggressive, then a river-bet from them in these spots is often very polarized - they either have the nuts or complete air.This makes it easy to play back at them - if they bet the river too often in these spots, they have air more often than not and we can bluff-catch. And if they only rarely bet, then they usually have it and we have an easy fold.Now think about how their ranges could change if we show them a big laydown.Basically, two things may happen:Either they bluff us more often, thinking they have more fold equity. Or - if they're really good - they could try to level us and bet valuebet much more thinly in these spots, expecting us to call.So if you show a big laydown to make your opponent bluff you more often - you may also encourage them to valuebet you more often if they think you expect them to bluff more often.