Misère Pots' Semi-bluffs
There is a fair amount of scope for semi-bluffs in Freakpots.
The most frequent of such semi-bluffs are:
Standing pat against one or more players who have all drawn cards where one holds only threes, or perhaps only a pair.
If no one has made a Full House or better, this bluff may occasionally succeed, particularly if a player who has, for instance, high threes is not the last to speak and is afraid of being doubled again.
And a Freakpot is very different from a Jackpot, in that the odds against being dealt a pat hand are only about 20 to one.
Doubling a player on, say, three cards to a Straight Flush, and playing them confidently as though one holds three Aces. A player who holds only moderate threes isn't likely to see a second raise if he hasn't improved.
Doubling on an open-ended straight or bobtailed flush and playing the hand as though one had doubled on Fours.
These, and similar semi-bluffs, should only be attempted infrequently and against players who are not playing too liberal a game.
Indeed, the general considerations that have been put forward already apply throughout.
In Misère Pots, many club games has already been emphasized that the majority of those playing come in far too often where they have but two cards, and may even make a habit of buying three where there are a lot of chips in the pot.
In these games, it's hardly necessary to bluff at all; if you get as you must get in the long run--- your fair share of pat hands and of hands to which you can properly buy one card, will show a good profit on your Misère Pot without trying any funny business at all.
There is perhaps only one semi-bluff that seems to be worthwhile; that is the re-raise, when the original bet has been raised once already.
This is about a hand that gives you alternative plays, if your re-raise is accepted because the player who raised originally has to speak before you.
For example, you hold (pat) 8 6 4 2 A. A opens; B plays, C doubles, D and E throw in. You are F. You now double again and everyone throws in except D who accepts your redouble.
If D now draws a card, you will stand pat, with the odds about four to one on your winning. But if D doubles again, and subsequently stands pat, he has probably a hand which is not worse than seven-high.
Well, that's just bad luck. But if you throw your eight, the a priori odds against you are slightly better than five to one.
For if D has 8 4 3 2 A, or 7 6 5 2 A, or 7 6 4 3 A, you will win if you draw a seven, and the a priori odds, should he hold any of these hands, are only about three to one against you.