I was just at a 0.25/0.50 table and made a very good an easy read on one player. Basically, a small raise pre-flop. The flop comes down, one player bets $2 and our 'bluffer' made a fairly big raise, pushing it $18. This seemed like a huge overbet to me and I was right. The guy folded and bluffer-boy showed his cards and he had absolutely junk. 2 hands later, I call a small raise with A-8 suited and bluffer-boy is the only one with me. The flop came down A-K-blank. So I had top pair and also had a distance back door flush draw, so I bet out $2. Bluffer boy does exactly the same as he did before and raised it to $18. Now this is where the previous information gained from him came into play. Had he not shown his previous bluff, I may well have folded here. However I re-raised all-in for around $50 and he folded in an instant.

A good point to note is the huge over-betting that occurred both times. I mean if he really did have a big hand on the flop, surely it's best to try and reel in other players. Over-betting like this generally means weakness. And if you are going to show a bluff, at least wait more than 2 hands before trying exactly the same move. lol

When I sat down, bluffer boy had around $70 if I remember correctly. It was all gone within 10 minutes though after I called his bluff. He was called by anyone who he tried to tangle with after that and was again caught bluffing until he bluffed away his cash. Maybe someone should tell him that sometimes you need cards to win and pure aggression alone won't do it.

good point. showing a bluff is never a good idea unless you think it will put your opponent on tilt or unless you get a lot of good cards and expect to get some callers from that. Speaking of showing cards I get people sometimes who show EVERYTHING. no matter if they're bluffing or not or if I fold preflop. or don't call around the blinds. They show all. pretty annoying. bad move too. let's me know they're on a cold streak or bluffs a lot.

Yep - he sounded pretty silly - and I've come up "against" that kind of play before. I think they show their cards to say "hahahah! - sucker!" - if I see someone do it twice then that's it - I go for the kill. It's not back fired yet and doesn't take long to remove them from STT/MTTs - usually after they have made you fold one or two half decent pots (worth doing just to see their cards - they are going to show you them whether you call or not :-) )

I never get the showing of one card only - might as well show none?

Anyhows - the showing of cards can be useful after a bluff as I'm sure you know. I used it wonderfuly a couple of weeks ago....

STT. (hands not nesc. once after the other, but probably all within 10 hands)

Hand 1: I put a big overbet one an average pair ($240 when blinds are $30 lol) - only did this to setup my table image as strong/wild.
All folded - I Didn't show.
One guy said "I hope you had total sh1t mate!" - i.e. correctly implying that such an overbet on a good hand would have been daft.

Hand 2: A couple of hands later - I pull off a lovely overbet bluff (very obvious that the remaining players in the hand had weak cards).
This time I show my junk.
I've now definately set up my image as a bluffer (and they must be sure the 1st time I overbet I had nothing - wrong!)

Hand 3: Probably about 3 or 4 hands later - I get pocket rockets.
Large overbet again - on purpose of course.
The guy who commented earler pushes all-in.

I win.

He actually said after he lost "that was either played very stupidly or very well" - I relied , "I set it up mate". It made him feel a whole lot better lol.

One of my favourite moments so far.

That was well played and you used it to good effect.

I think there are some players who think that pure aggression will win at poker. They must see Gus Hansen on TV or something but I have seen some really bad plays on PKR from some of these guys.

I agree with Dodgey here. Showing cards after a bluff can be perfect to set your table image. After you are classed as a bluffer, thighten up your game and you'll notice people will call you no matter what.
By the time they notice it was a trap, you probably eliminated a few players already.

It also works the other way around. Each time you hit the nuts, and people fold to your last bet, always show the hand. At that point, people will put you as a thight player, which makes it that much easier to pull off a bluff now and then, because they will all asume you have a monster again.