He Donked $50 on the River Just to 3-Bet Bluff a Flush With Aces: Bart Hanson Reacts
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Quick answer: On Crush Live Poker, a caller tells Bart Hanson about a live $2/$5 hand at Parx. He held the A♣A♦, put his opponent on a flush, and led $50 into a $580 river pot. He wasn't trying to block. He wanted his opponent to raise so he could 3-bet the river as a bluff. "I never really do this," he says. The opponent thought for about a minute and raised to $475. The clip doesn't show how the hand ended, so this post doesn't say either.
The hand, as the caller told it
The clip comes from the Crush Live Poker episode "One of the CRAZIEST Poker Bluffs Bart Has Ever Heard" (YouTube). In the full episode the caller says he and the villain both had about $2,500. He opened A♣A♦ under the gun to $20, and the +1 and the button called. The flop came T♠9♣2♣. On the 7♣ turn he bet $50, the +1 raised to $260, and the button folded. By the river the pot was $580.
His read was simple: "I'm putting him on a flush pretty much." So he "donked the river for $50 with intentions of him raising and then me three betting the river as a bluff."
Bart's reaction
Bart calls the plan "like reverse reverse." He says players sometimes make a small river bet with the actual nuts, and he mentions the game theory "ace, king, queen game." He used to think there was "no real reason to ever block the river unless you get called by worse." He now sees that when you can balance small bets with the nuts, you "actually prevent your opponent sometimes from raising and you get a cheaper showdown."
This caller wanted the reverse: get raised, then bluff. "So many things have to go on here," Bart says. He adds that if you could actually see a hand like K5 of clubs, "this might be the play, because how else are you gonna do it."
The caller's logic: if he checked, this player would "bet probably huge," commit himself, and snap off a jam. Bart points to the stacks: "You guys are really deep." He says you "could never pull this off with like a 1K stack." The caller agrees: "No, you can't."
Then the result of the bet: "He sat there for like a minute and he raised to $475." Bart: "Well, looks like you got what you wanted, huh?" The caller admits: "I don't know if this is like advised, but this is just the plan at the time."
The strategy behind it (general concepts)
The points below are general poker ideas, not Bart's advice.
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- River leads and blocker bets. A small lead out of position usually sets your own price for a showdown. It can get called by worse, it makes a big bet from your opponent less likely, and it gets you to showdown cheaply. A good version of this line also includes some very strong hands.
- Blockers matter. Holding the A♣ means the opponent can't have the nut flush. That makes a bluff more believable, because you could plausibly hold the best possible hand.
- The 3-bet river bluff needs deep stacks. A raise-and-re-raise on the river needs room behind. With about $2,500 effective, it was possible here. With shorter stacks, as Bart noted, it isn't.
- It depends on the player. The whole plan relies on reading the opponent. Here that meant guessing he'd raise a flush when led into, and that he could fold one to a big re-raise. Against many opponents, a made flush is close to unfoldable.
Practice weird spots for free
You can test lines like this without risking anything. On Superintelligencepoker.com you can play poker for free at 6-max tables using Dojo Coin, a play currency with no cash value. The caller's hand was a live full-ring game at Parx, so the stacks and positions will feel different at a 6-max table, but the river concepts carry over.
Brush up with our Texas Hold'em strategy guide, then try blocker thinking in PLO strategy and Greek Hold'em strategy. For bankroll stories, read Adrian Mateos: from a $1.5K bankroll to a million and Jerrad Pawar's bankroll vs. debt. Want to run your own "reverse reverse" line? Take a free seat or join a 6-max table now.
If gambling is causing stress for you or your family, the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-GAMBLER) is free and confidential.
FAQ
What is a donk bet on the river?
A bet led out of position into the player who had the initiative on the previous street. Here, the caller led $50 into the turn raiser.
What is a blocker bet?
A small bet that sets your own price for a showdown and can stop an opponent from making a larger bet.
Why does holding the ace of clubs matter?
With the A♣ in your hand, your opponent can't hold the nut flush, and a bluff that represents it becomes more believable.
How did the Parx hand end?
The Short doesn't show the ending, so we don't report one.
Can I play poker for free on Superintelligencepoker.com?
Yes. All tables are 6-max and use Dojo Coin, which has no cash value.
Sources
1. Crush Live Poker: "One of the CRAZIEST Poker Bluffs Bart Has Ever Heard," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kS1YsP3d74
2. Viral Podcast Shorts clip: https://youtube.com/shorts/6R5QcmgOsRs
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