Anyone that has played with me knows I will tend to talk a bit during a game. Sometimes it’s just random babble and sometimes I’m laying a trap. Many pros talk in live play in order to pull information out of another player. They are looking for subtle clues in the answer, reaction, lack of response or even facial expression. Online players can’t necessarily pull information in this manner but you can set a tone of play. Below are a few examples of what I mean.

Misdirection

I’m playing a guy heads up in a $200 SnG. He makes a min raise and I call with 5 2. I’m hoping to see some low cards and win a small pot. The flop hits 6 4 3; talk about flopping the nuts! Problem is the flop is too good. Unless I’m really lucky and this guy also hit on this flop, I’m not going to make much on the hand. In order to capitalize on the hand I have to entice my opponent to bet into me. He throws out a small feeler bet which is expected. If I re-raise here he’s gone and if I just call he’s probably going to start checking. I type in “I think my 6 is good here.” and smooth call. I’m telling the guy I have top pair hoping he has 2 over cards and one of them hits. This could backfire on me and make the guy shutdown altogether if he doesn’t hit. Turn card is the J and he makes a ½ pot bet which I smooth call after thinking for a second. River is a Q and he quickly pushed all in assuming with 2 over cards on the board I’m going to fold the pair of 6s I just told him I had. I call, he shows K 2, game over.

Pissed off Players make mistakes

This hand happened during a multi-tournament. The guy to my right just took a bad beat a hand or two prior. I’m in the BB with 66, he’s in the SB with J4, and it folds around to him. He calls and I just check. I know I’ve got the best hand but since he is tilting, if I raise him pre-flop he’s liable to move all in and force me to make a decision I don’t want to make. The Flop hits KJ6 and he throws out a bet thinking his J is probably good. I know the guy is still pissed from his bad beat so I try to taunt him a little. I say “Just fold dude” and call. Now what player is going to tell you to fold if he has a hand? Turn is an 8 and he moves all in quickly. I call, he’s out.

I will do this in live play as well. In Tunica during a satellite game there was an older guy to my right that was just horrible. He kept calling huge bets and/or go all in with trash hands that would some how hit every time. He sucked out on me with AJ vs KJ, KK vs KQ, and AK vs A6. Fortunately I survived all of these hands and was sure his luck would run out.

I make several comments to the guy basically telling him he sucks in no uncertain terms trying to portray the pissed off, on tilt player. Few hands later I pick up 99 in the SB and this guy of course raises my blind. I call and the BB who is very short stacked moves in for a few bucks more and we both call. Flop hits A K 9. Keeping with his poor play the fool starts betting at the dry pot. (read my other article as to why this is dumb) Doing my best Hollywood I throw a raise in the pot barking at the guy that he’s an idiot and I know he’s bluffing!!! The dealer is convinced by my acting and tells me to calm down. As the old guy is reaching for his chips, another jackass at the table who played with me previously and saw me do a similar move to perfection says “ha ha, he’s got the nuts”. The old guy then folds and I take down what should have been a huge pot. Now I really am pissed and in my friendliest voice tell the jackass he needs to STFU during a hand.

When am I lying?

Technically I always lie when ever I tell someone what cards I have. It’s against chatting rules online to disclose your cards and it’s also a penalty in live play. But sometimes I will say I have certain cards either pre-flop or even post flop just to get the other player thinking. My goal is to have them out think themselves and make mistakes.

I’m in a hand with three other players and there are two s on the flop. The turn is another and when it’s my turn to act I say “Think my AQ of s is good here?”, and make a small bet. I don’t even have a in my hand but I did hit bottom pair. If everyone folds then I just stole a pot. Unless someone really did hit a flush I’m not going to get raised and will see the river for cheap for a chance to hit my kicker. If I have to show my hand then when I do hit a flush no one is going to believe me when I tell them. Two of the three players call and we all check the river. I show my little pair with no to be found and lose to the guy with top pair.

A few hands later I’ve got A 5 in the SB and I limp in with the BB and two others. This time I hit the nut flush on a K 8 4 flop. I say “Think my Q 10 of s is good here?” and check. I’m hoping that one of these guys has the Q in his hand and now knows I’m lying again or they remember my previous comments when I didn’t have any s. Next player bets, gets a call, SB folds, and I call. Turn card is a 10 and I bet ½ the pot. Next player calls and the other folds. River is a 2 and I figure I won’t get anymore action with 4 s on the board. I bet the pot and the guy calls showing K Q. He’s not happy when I show my nut flush. He just knew I was kidding around just like I did a few hands before.

Now this may seem like a great plan but trust me when I tell you it backfires. Some players are oblivious to anything that has happened prior in the game. Or I may hit a big hand and lure a player to call my bets only to get sucked out on. You can out think yourself and get trapped just as easy as your opponent.

—Troll