I played next to a guy I had been corresponding with for a while yesterday. He made what I consider a very bad play, and I told him this when he asked. I thus violated my prime rule (never discuss strategy at the table), but I did tell him this was the first and last time.

Since I shared it with him, I might as well share it with you, too. A mediocre but not poker-stupid young lady limped (call her Cora) and I raised on before the cutoff with KhJh. Jake (we will call him) called my raise from the next position on my right. The blinds folded and Cora called. The flop came 763-rainbow. Cora checked and I checked as well. I do not feel obligated to bet the flop just because I raise pre-flop, and here I did not like the flop, I did not like Jake’s call and I did not like the fact that anyone who wanted to could take the pot away from me. Jake checked behind me.

The turn came the 6s, putting a second spade on the board. Cora now bet, I folded and Jake raised. Now stop and think what in the world is Jake representing by this raise? Can you name a hand that would call a raise pre-flop, check the flop in last position and now have a raising hand? Me neither. This was such an obvious bluff (almost certainly based on a spade draw) that I felt it was ridiculous. Anyway, the river was another 6, Cora checked and called, and Jake showed KsQs and Cora showed Qc3c.

Jake offered several silly explanations for his raise. First, he said she might be betting with nothing because everyone checked. True, but even she is not so oblivious to poker logic that she can’t clearly see he is bluffing. I don’t know how she will play for sure, but a good player will simply re-steal. Then he said he was not getting the right odds to call. Wrong again. After the flop, there were 7.6 small bets in the pot or 3.8 big bets. Her bet made it 4.8:1 he was getting for his call. The paired board meant that it was possible he was drawing dead, or that his river spade might fill her up. Countering his was the chance that a K or Q would win the pot for him (which it would in this case).

It is clear call and an awful bluff raise. When you are raising, you need to determine what it is you are representing. If there is nothing likely that you can have, do not bluff.

Ironically, I made the exact same play against this exact same player earlier in the day. She had limped, my somewhat drunk right hand opponent had raised, and I called on the button with Ah6h. If I thought she might fold to a three-bet, I would have made it, but I did not think she would so I encouraged the blinds to come along. They declined and she called. The flop came KK7 rainbow and both players checked to me. I checked as well. Now the turn came the 8h, putting a second heart on the board and giving me an ace-high flush draw. Cora bet, righty folded and I raised.

I hope you see the difference. Here I am representing a king. If I held a hand like KQs, I might well have called pre-flop, checked the flop and raised the turn. My semi-bluff worked and she folded.