Poker News

George Epstein

The “Esther Bluff” - What’s that? Let me explain. . .

A year ago, I introduced you to my then 8-year-old granddaughter, Esther Fayla Epstein, and her almost incredible, innate talent for playing poker. She has an instinctive flair for the game; she’s a natural winner. .

Well, Esther is now 9 years old and is away at overnight camp for two weeks - her first time away from home without her Mom. Before she left, she made a button for me with her picture on it, so I could remember her while she was away.

That was so thoughtful. The day before she left for camp, we were playing poker - only for chips, mind you - and she pulled another bluff on me. By this time, I thought I was wise to her and knew that she bluffs too often. Still, it came off beautifully. Then I realized that she had a special style; her bluff fit into her normal pattern of play. When she had a strong hand, she bet aggressively with an air of confidence.

She did exactly the same when she pulled off that bluff.

The “Esther Bluff” to the Rescue. I was playing $4-$8 hold’em at the Hustler Casino the day after Esther left for camp. It was a great game with lots of good action. I was fortunate to be seated to then left of two especially aggressive players. (That way, I would act after they bet, so I could avoid entering raised pots with marginal drawing hands.) Almost from the start, I was dealt great starting hands.

But. . My pocket kings lost to a pair of aces when an ace fell on the river. Hand after hand, it was like that: getting made hands and premium drawing hands - only to lose to a better hand at the showdown. Second-best is costly!

I had been playing for about an hour and had yet to win my first pot. I went into my pocket for more money to replenish my chips, and there it was: the button Esther had made for me. I looked at her smiling face on the button; and I pinned the button on my shirt. That brought to mind how Esther had bluffed me out a few days before. . .

The very next hand was one with potential for making a big hand. The dealer gave me K-Q, both hearts. Even though the pot was raised preflop, I entered the fray. The flop brought two more hearts. With four-to-a-flush and five players in the pot, I could take advantage of the implied pot odds, so I re-raised on the flop. After all, the card odds were less than 2-to-1 against my making the king-high flush on the turn or river. The Expected Value (EV) was very favorable.

Alas, neither the turn nor the river cards filled my flush. I don’t recall what was on the board, but I held a busted flush at the end.

So I pulled an”Esther Bluff.” On the turn, the betting was checked to me; since I had raised on the flop, my opponents - even the aggressive ones — respected me. I bet out with confidence and aggressively. After all, I “knew” I had the best hand. Two opponents called. Again on the river, I did the same. First one opponent folded quickly; the other thought a while and then he too folded. I had won my first pot of the evening! My confidence was restored, not to mention my chip stacks. From then on, luck seemed to turn in my direction. My starting hands often improved and I took pot after pot. Thanks to Esther. . .

. . . So readers, what’s YOUR opinion?

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