Bluffing a Calling Station

Most of the Razz hands I’ve posted here lately have been against this same fish. He’s mostly just way too loose aggressive, hates to let go of a hand even when he’s been caught bluffing. That can make him tough to play against, but it also makes him easy to read once you understand him. To wit:

Razz ($20/$40), Ante $3, Bring-In $6

3rd Street – (0.75 SB)
pokeraholic5: xx xx 9___folds
ifishharderer: xx xx 7___folds
dqdq2000: xx xx A___completes___raises
urbandb888: 2 6 3___raises___calls
iampong: xx xx T___brings-in___folds

4th Street – (7.05 SB)
dqdq2000: xx xx A K__calls
urbandb888: 2 6 3 2___bets

5th Street – (4.53 BB)
dqdq2000: xx xx A K Q___checks___calls
urbandb888: 2 6 3 2 2___bets

6th Street – (6.53 BB)
dqdq2000: xx xx A K Q J___checks___calls
urbandb888: 2 6 3 2 2 K___bets

River – (8.53 BB)
dqdq2000: xx xx A K Q J xx___bets___folds
urbandb888: 2 6 3 2 2 K 4___raises

Total pot: (10.53 BB – $421)

First off, on third street, he’s never folding that A in the door with two to act behind him, even when I’m showing a 3. So I have a very raise 3-bet with three to a 6. We both catch bad on 4th, but he doesn’t know I caught bad, so I bet. But he hates to give up, so he calls. On fifth we both catch bad again, but I could still be ahead, and regardless I’ve got the scarier board. Among other things, these bets are to set up a steal on a future street if I catch good (or at least a scare card). No matter how stubborn he is, he’ll have to fold at that point.

Sixth street is where it really gets tricky. At this point, if he’s not paired (and even he isn’t dumb enough to call down with a pair and this board), he’s a lock to win against the hand I’m holding. But versus the hand I’m representing, he’s a 2-1 dog even if his hole cards are as strong as 5-4. So I just have to hope he folds. No such luck.

But then he leads into me on seventh, which makes no sense at all. The best hand he could possibly have is Jack high, so he really can’t bet for value no matter how well he caught. Also, the only way to justify his calls so far is that he thinks I’m bluffing and didn’t have a made low on 6th. So if he thinks his hand is best, it’s a very easy check and call for him, as I either improved to something that beats him or I’m still hopelessly behind. That means his bet has to be a bluff. I can’t even beat a bluff, though, so there’s only one way to win the pot….

Naturally I show him, which results in a later river raise getting paid off very light:

Razz ($20/$40), Ante $3, Bring-In $6

3rd Street – (0.60 SB)
pokeraholic5: xx xx 9___folds
dqdq2000: xx xx 7___completes
urbandb888: 6 9 3___calls
iampong: xx xx K___brings-in___folds

4th Street – (2.90 SB)
dqdq2000: xx xx 7 Q___calls
urbandb888: 6 9 3 A___bets

5th Street – (2.45 BB)
dqdq2000: xx xx 7 Q A___calls
urbandb888: 6 9 3 A 2___bets

6th Street – (4.45 BB)

dqdq2000: xx xx 7 Q A 8___checks
urbandb888: 6 9 3 A 2 3___checks

River – (4.45 BB)
dqdq2000: xx xx 7 Q A 8 xx___bets___calls
urbandb888: 6 9 3 A 2 3 4___raises

Total pot: (8.45 BB – $338)

dqdq2000 mucked [Tc 4h 7h Qd Ac 8c 4d] – T,8,7,4,A

In this hand, sixth is a weird spot for me. If he’s got T-5 in the hole, I’m an 80% favorite. If he’s got 6-5 in the whole, he’s a 70% favorite. I decided the easiest thing to do would be to take the free card and make the correct river decision, since I know he isn’t folding.