Some of my friends and myself got into a long discussion over this.

What is the differnce between a fish making a marginal call and winning a pot and a pro making a marginal call and winning a pot.

We got talking about this after watching some tournaments on tv. Ted Forrest called Danield Negranea down with AK on the river after Negranea made a bluff at the pot after missing his draws. We seen anoher hand where Phil Helmuth called down Hoyte Corkins with K high and won the pot.

We all agreed that they were amazing reads and amazing calls by the top pro. But if I'm sitting in my home game and I get called down by someone in the same situation we just assume thier a fish.

Just curious of what you guys thought about this?

Reads.

What we don't see on TV is the 1000's of hands played before that call down. We are not able to see all that has gone on before that "great" call. Has he bluffed a lot, on a run, tried that before and showed bluff....whatever.

If, at your local game, someone keeps calling down your bluffs; I would have to re-evaluate making him a fish :D .


I just read a section in Dan Harrington's book that kinda relates here. I'll have to paraphrase because I can't find it.

You can't bluff a great player, he will see through it.
You can't bluff a poor player, he doesn't know better.
You CAN bluff an average player, he always worrys about what can beat him.

With that in mind, I am an average player.