A Fixed Limit River Bluff

[lwestatbus]

I was in a $2/4 FL ring game at the dog track with a group that was pretty loose preflop but relatively tight on the turn and river. I had AQ in early position and raised which actually reduced the number of players seeing the flop, a rare feat at these stakes. One player was a calling station about my age (50s--LATE 50s) and the other was a younger player whom I'd seen cold call with a weak ace. I am sure that I had a really tight table image as I was getting nothing in the way of cards most of the evening, not even the looser standards I'd established for this loose game. I had previously shown down trips on an occassion where I'd raised and bet to showdown.

The flop was a complete miss but I continuation bet and both called. The turn was another miss and I checked. Old villian bet but he always bets an unbet pot and young villian called as did I. The river was a K and I immediately bet out. I mean, why not? Old villain-insta folds and young villain thinks about it for a while but eventually folds. I decided to show the bluff and had suitable grimmaces from young villain who I am sure had a weak pair.

Well, this isn't the end of the story. An orbit later with the same players at the table I find A 6 in the small blind and five or six players to the flop. The flop gives me two diamonds and pairs my six and I bet out and got a lot of callers. The turn is a miss but I bet anyway and lost a couple of players but ended up with the same two villains (old and young) as in the previous tale. The river puts the 3 on the board giving me the stone cold nuts. I checked and old villain bet as he was prone to do and young villain called. I check-raised and young villain got a disgusted look and folded out of turn but old villain looked at his cards and at me and put in another $4. While it wasn't a huge deal I'm pretty sure that showing the earlier bluff had a little to do with getting the extra bet from him.