Sandbagging?

Sandbagging?

This is a term I had never heard until I joined Replay! I think it means slow playing a strong hand, and checking in the hope that one of your opponents bets? The risk is that if nobody bets then you end up with short value, but I think that is more than outweighed by the value you get if someone bets and then you check-raise, making it look like a desperate bluff!?

In this hand I flopped bottom pair in the small blind, improved to two pair on the turn, and made a full house on the river. Whilst I didn’t have the nuts, I figured in all probability I had the best hand. Checking the river was probably quite risky, but it certainly paid off in this instance!

This type of playing has earned me more chips on this site than any other style of play: I’d much sooner risk not making chips than risk losing chips, which is why I hardly ever bluff these days.

My theory is that the reason this works so well is down to psychology: Most players are far more willing to call a raise if they have instigated the betting than they are to call a bet. Also, by under-representing one’s hand, one can take down pots with a far greater range of hands it seems.

I’d be interested to hear other players’ thoughts on this…?

https://www.replaypoker.com/hand/replay/485598553

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It’s a good play for early position, when you’re confident that you have a very good hand, but also believe that someone else made a hand that isn’t as good, and will bet it. Or when the flop is scary, but you hit it, and you don’t bet to conceal the strength of the hand. “Scary” boards have obvious implications: a pair or two on the board, aces on the board, three of a kind on the board, a solid suited flop, or a straight or connected flop that completes the straight for hole cards likely to be in someone’s range.

When you flop a set, a full house, or a well hidden straight, it can be killer. Players who hit only top pair will try to bet hard enough to close the hand for anyone on a draw who understands pot odds. If you already hit your draw, you can let them bet the whole way, calling every street. This can get you more chips than a check raise, oftentimes, as they fire away with increasing bets to get you to fold. I like to say when someone is betting, let them. But only when you are very, very secure, such as a flopped full house, or when you hit quads or a straight flush, as happens rarely, or even a flush if you have the highest possible hole card and there’s no pair on the board. Otherwise, raising can protect your hand while it’s still ahead.

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well you have to check your made hand oop sometimes or you become exploitable!

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I agree with you Vicky,
Many times you can let an aggressive better do your betting for you and you are not giving up any information. A good ploy when done in moderation.

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I have done it and I have had it done to me also. It is a good way to win more. Flop a full house, make a big bet, all fold. Either bet the minimum or check.

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