Part: Part Eight - Making Moves
The delayed bluff
Flop
You opened and the big blind called. Flop 8♠ 7♣ 3♥ - a low board that hits his range; you hold A♦Q♣. He checks.
A low, connected board favoring the caller, and you have air. Best?
WhyEight-seven-three is the big blind's flop, not yours - he flats plenty of pairs, gutshots, and eights, so a c-bet just runs into calls. Checking keeps the pot small and holds your ammunition for a turn that actually tilts toward the opener's range.
What happensYou check behind. Pot stays 2,600 (6.5 BB), and your options are all still alive.
Turn
Turn K♠ - an overcard that favors your range. He checks again.
A king arrives (good for you) and he checks twice. Best?
WhyA king is a card you'd often raise and one he rarely holds, and it's frightening for the middling hands he floated the flop with. Two checks say he's given up - now a bet represents the strong hand credibly and folds his weak holdings out. This was always the street to attack.
What happensYou bet 1,800 and he folds. Choosing the right card to fire beat betting the wrong flop.
You skipped the c-bet on a flop that favored the caller and attacked a turn that favored you instead. The delayed bluff is about picking the right street, not firing on the first one.
When the flop belongs to the caller, don't force a c-bet into it. Check, and wait for a card that swings the range your way before you fire.