The Henon Bluff

Henon's a player I come up against online on a regular basis.

He or she, I don't know which, is a far better player than I am.

By FAR, Henon is a better bluffer than myself, and the majority of the players around.

It seemed like everytime I had a good hand, a decent, but not a GREAT hand, Henon would throw out some enormous raise.

It felt AS IF Henon was looking at my cards.

S/he didn't have to.

I finally figured out what Henon was doing, which is SO DAMN lethal.

Just watching my (and other players bets).

Some lousy flop comes out, 7 - 9 - 2.

One or more players pairs one of the cards on the flop, and places a bet worthy of a low pair.

The turn and river come out, and whether they're A-K-Q or just more junk, the player doesn't suddenly increase their bet, go astronomical or in any way indicate they've improved their hand.

At which point Henon throws out a bet (bluff) worthy of a full house.

Every time.

S/he's not bluffing that he has SOMETHING GREAT, he's merely bluffing that he has something BETTER than what you have.

One clue that this is what Henon was doing was that I'd look at the table, and there'd be no PF, no PS, nothing to explain his sudden moonshot.

If felt like s/he was looking at my cards it was so uncanny. I didn't dare call that humongous bet s/he placed, often half of his bankroll.

This is perhaps the finest bluff I've come across, and I salute Henon. It won't work against ME anymore, but it will certainly work for me.

Henon, I salute you.