Imaginary Cards

I asked my friend Dave, "What if I didn't even look at the cards in my hand. What if I only played the hand I wanted others to believe I held."

I would look only at the cards on the table, and mentally "invent" a hand based on what was there, and if it was the turn or the river, a hand consistent with the actions I had taken on the flop, or the flop and the pre-flop.

Figure only 30-50% of the time do the other players take you to a showdown, where your cards are actually exposed.

The rest of the time, I could bet AS IF I had pocket aces despite holding 2-3, and they would never know the difference.

Provided the "story" I told them, through my actions, was credible. If I pretended to have pocket aces more twice in a row, I doubt many players would fall for it a 2nd time.

If I pretended to have trips everytime a pair fell on the flop, that wouldn't work so good either.
Now and then it's a great way to steal the blinds.

You only need cards, you see, if the hand goes to a showdown.

Well, technically, a showdown is only between two players, I think, but you know what I mean. A hand where all the hands get exposed at the end to determine the winner.

Let me give you an example. Sometimes a flop will contain A-x-y or K-x-y. Now I could bet large on the ace or king, and narrow the field. That's a good strategy most of the time. But what if I have a lousy kicker.

Sometimes, however, I'll pretend I have one of the lesser cards. Instead of betting like I have an Ace, I'll bet like I have the "x" or "y" card.

When the turn is another "x" or "y", so there's A-x-y-x, suddenly, I can bet AS IF I now have a set of trips, and it's not inconsistent with my earlier bet.

I happen to like this trick. Worst case, I've still got a pair of Aces or Kings. Best case, nobody else has the trips, and they all fold.

I'm playing with their minds, the cards they THINK I have, not the cards I really have.

Imaginary Cards.