Twenty minutes ago you watched this player fire three barrels with a busted draw and get caught - he over-bluffs. Now he opens from the cutoff and it folds to you on the button with K♦J♦.
The known over-bluffer opens to 600 (3 BB); you hold K♦J♦ on the button. Best?
WhyCall. King-jack suited plays well in position against a loose opening range, and calling keeps his bluffs in - exactly what you want against a player you've read as too aggressive.
What happensYou call; the blinds fold. Heads-up in position. Pot: 1,500 (7.5 BB).
Flop
Flop: J♥ 7♣ 2♠ - you flop top pair, king kicker. He continuation-bets.
You flop top pair, king kicker and the over-bluffer c-bets 900 (4.5 BB). Best?
WhyCall. Against a player who bluffs too much, you don't raise and fold out his bluffs - you keep him betting. Top pair, king kicker is well ahead of his wide, aggressive range.
What happensYou call. Pot: 3,300 (16.5 BB).
Turn
Turn: 4♥ - a blank. He fires again.
He bets 2,400 (12 BB). With top pair, good kicker against a known over-bluffer?
WhyCall. Your read says he barrels far too wide; top pair, king kicker crushes his bluff-heavy range. Folding here would throw away the value of the information you collected from his earlier showdown.
What happensYou call. Pot: 8,100 (40.5 BB).
River
River: 9♠. The over-bluffer shoves all-in.
He jams 8,000 (40 BB). Your read says…
WhyCall. You have a specific, recent read: this player runs triple-barrel bluffs and was just caught doing it. Top pair, king kicker beats every busted draw and worse pair in his over-bluffing range. A live read from a prior showdown is exactly the information that turns a tough bluff-catch into a clear call.
What happensYou call; he shows Q-T (a busted straight draw). Your read was gold.
A showdown you observed earlier told you this player over-bluffs, and you used that read to make a thin call most players can't. Watching hands you're not in is how you earn those calls.
Information from earlier showdowns is reading the table in its purest form - store your reads and apply them when the action gets tough.