Reversing Your Mindset

Let's say there's a possible straight on the board.

If you don't have it and bet it, or bluff AS IF you have it, but instead check...

You just lost that pot. At least 70% of the time.

What motivation is there for someone "downstream" of you not to bluff? You already told them YOU didn't have it?

Unless you're "setting a trap" for them or "lying in wait", their raise immediately takes the pot.

Most players either aren't sneaky enough, or are too greedy, to lie in wait and checkraise the person foolish enough to try and bluff them. Oh sure, trips get slowplayed constantly, but...

You have a pair or two pair, and you're terrified they have the straight.

Guess what. Chances are THEY'RE just as terrified as you are!

You've got to quit looking at scare cards and being scared and instead look at them as the opportunity to terrify your opponents into folding.

Only an idiot downstream of YOU will check after you've already told them YOU don't have the straight. Yes, there are a fair number of idiots, but you're going to be playing with non-idiots real soon after reading this.

So what's the worst case. You bluff the straight. They actually HAVE the straight. If they had huevos rancheros, they'd re-raise, and you'd promptly fold. But most don't. They just call.

The point is, it's smart to lose when they DO have the striaght, it's stupid to lose when they don't have the straight just because you failed to bluff it!