Here are the answers and explanations from our bluff-catcher quiz.
Hand #1
Online $0.5/$1. 6-Handed. Effective Stacks $100.
Hero is in Big Blind with two cards
3 folds. Button raises to $2.5. Small Blind folds. Hero calls.
Flop ($5.50): Q♠ 5♦ 4♠
Hero checks. Button bets $1.8. Hero calls.
Turn ($9.10): 9♥
Hero checks. Button bets $6.75. Hero calls.
River ($22.60): 2♠
Hero checks. Button bets $17.
A – A♠ 5♣
B – A♣ 5♣
C – K♦ 4♦
The correct answer is A, A♠ 5♣.
The spade blocker is the best one of them all, and the A♠ is the pinnacle of blockers because it denies the possibility of the numerous ace-high flushes in the Button’s range.
Hand #2
Online $0.5/$1. 6-Handed. Effective Stacks $100.
Hero is in Big Blind with two cards
3 folds. Button raises to $2.5. Small Blind folds. Hero calls.
Flop ($5.50): J♦ 9♦ 5♥
Hero checks. Button bets $1.8. Hero calls.
Turn ($9.10): 8♥
Hero checks. Button bets $6.75. Hero calls.
River ($22.60): 4♠
Hero checks. Button bets $17.
A – A♣ 5♣
B – 9♠ 6♠
C – J♥ T♥
The correct answer here is C, J♥ T♥.
While 96 is a close second (because it blocks 76-suited), the Jack and Ten block many more combinations of strong hands. The Ten blocks QT, which is super important because both suited and off suited versions of QT are in Button’s range. The Jack blocks stronger top pairs (like AJ), two pairs (like J9) and top set (JJ).
Hand #3
Online $0.5/$1. 6-Handed. Effective Stacks $100.
Hero is in Big Blind with two cards
3 folds. Button raises to $2.5. Small Blind folds. Hero calls.
Flop ($5.50): K♦ T♠ 7♥
Hero checks. Button bets $3.8. Hero calls.
Turn ($13.10): 8♥
Hero checks. Button bets $9. Hero calls.
River ($31.10): 4♠
Hero checks. Button bets $22.
A – K♣ 2♣
B – K♣ 9♣
C – K♥ Q♥
The correct answer is B, K♣ 9♣.
This is not to say that the other bluff-catchers are not to be called with, but K9 is best as it blocks J9 and 96s, both of which are present in Button’s river betting range.
Hand #4
Online $0.5/$1. 6-Handed. Effective Stacks $100.
Hero is in Big Blind with two cards
3 folds. Button raises to $2.5. Small Blind folds. Hero calls.
Flop ($5.50): A♠ J♠ 9♦
Hero checks. Button bets $3.8. Hero calls.
Turn ($13.10): 7♥
Hero checks. Button bets $9. Hero calls.
River ($31.10): 6♦
Hero checks. Button bets $22.
A – A♠ 8♠
B – A♣ T♣
C – J♥ T♥
The correct answer is B, A♣ T♣.
This hand doesn’t block any missed flush draws and more importantly blocks the T8s straight, which the Button can have. Besides absolute hand strength, the difference between this hand and J♥ T♥ is that it blocks more Ax hands such as AK, AJ, A9, and A7.
Hand #5
Online $0.5/$1. 6-Handed. Effective Stacks $100.
Hero is in Big Blind with two cards
3 folds. Button raises to $2.5. Small Blind folds. Hero calls.
Flop ($5.50): K♣ 7♣ 3♦
Hero checks. Button bets $3.8. Hero calls.
Turn ($13.10): T♥
Hero checks. Button bets $9.
A – 6♣ 6♥
B – J♠ 3♠
C – 5♠ 3♠
The correct answer is C, 5♠ 3♠.
53s and 66 have the same likelihood of being good against the Button’s polarized turn bet, but 53s is more likely to improve on the river (5 outs compared to 2). 5♠ 3♠ is also better than J♠ 3♠ because the latter is actually blocking some of Button’s bluffing range (such as AJ, QJ, and J9).
Hand #6
Online $0.5/$1. 6-Handed. Effective Stacks $100.
Hero is in Big Blind with two cards
3 folds. Button raises to $2.5. Small Blind folds. Hero calls.
Flop ($5.50): Q♠ T♣ 5♦
Hero checks. Button bets $3.8. Hero calls.
Turn ($13.10): J♥
Hero checks. Button bets $9.
A – T♥ 9♣
B – K♦ T♠
C – J♦ 8♦
The correct answer is B, K♦ T♠.
Each of these hands have very similar absolute hand strength, so it comes down to blockers and ability to improve.
KTo blocks the most amount of value hands in Button’s range. It blocks AK, K9, QT, TT, KK, and KQ. Compare that to T9, which is only blocking K9, 98, TT and QT. J8 is blocking the least amount of value hands of them all and also has a weaker draw.
Additionally, KTo has the strongest draw of the three hands.
Hand #7
Online $0.5/$1. 6-Handed. Effective Stacks $100.
Hero is in Big Blind with two cards
3 folds. Button raises to $2.5. Small Blind folds. Hero calls.
Flop ($5.50): J♥ T♣ 5♦
Hero checks. Button bets $3.8. Hero calls.
Turn ($13.10): 6♦
Hero checks. Button bets $9.
A – A♣ 5♠
B – 8♠ 8♥
C – 8♠ 5♠
The correct answer is C, 8♠ 5♠.
This hand is the best of the three because it has more equity than 88 and it will realize more equity than A5. With A5, when the river comes an Ace, a lot of Button’s range (AJ, KQ, sets) will have our two pair beat. But when the 8 comes on the river, we lose to fewer hands. In other words, the 8 is a cleaner out than the Ace.
Hand #8
Online $0.5/$1. 6-Handed. Effective Stacks $100.
Hero is in Big Blind with two cards
3 folds. Button raises to $2.5. Small Blind folds. Hero calls.
Flop ($5.50): T♠ 9♥ 8♦
Hero checks. Button bets $3.8. Hero calls.
Turn ($13.10): 6♦
Hero checks. Button bets $9. Hero calls.
River ($31.10): 6♣
Hero checks. Button bets $22.
A – Q♦ T♣
B – A♥ T♦
C – A♠ 8♦
The correct answer is A, Q♦ T♣.
QT blocks the most amount of value hands from Button’s range while having the same effective hand strength as AT. The biggest difference between these 3 hands is that QT is blocking QJ while AT and A8 do not.
Hand #9
Online $0.5/$1. 6-Handed. Effective Stacks $100.
Hero is in Big Blind with two cards
3 folds. Button raises to $2.5. Small Blind folds. Hero calls.
Flop ($5.50): Q♦ 9♣ 8♦
Hero checks. Button bets $3.8. Hero calls.
Turn ($13.10): 3♦
Hero checks. Button bets $9. Hero calls.
River ($31.10): 4♣
Hero checks. Button bets $22.
A – Q♠ J♦
B – Q♠ J♥
C – A♠ 8♣
The correct answer is A, Q♠ J♦.
The difference comes from having top pair with the J♦, which blocks flushes from the Button’s range.
Hand #10
Online $0.5/$1. 6-Handed. Effective Stacks $100.
Hero is in Big Blind with two cards
3 folds. Button raises to $2.5. Small Blind folds. Hero calls.
Flop ($5.50): 7♠ 6♥ 5♦
Hero checks. Button bets $3.8. Hero calls.
Turn ($13.10): Q♦
Hero checks. Button bets $9. Hero calls.
River ($31.10): K♣
Hero checks. Button bets $22.
A – A♥ 7♥
B – 6♠ 4♠
C – 8♥ 7♦
The correct answer C, 8♥ 7♦.
This hand has the best blocker effects of the 3 because it blocks 98 while 6♠ 4♠ is only blocking 43s which may or may not be present in Button’s range, and A♥ 7♥ doesn’t block any straight.
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