Semi-Bluff
A bet or raise with a drawing hand that currently has little showdown value but could improve to a strong hand. Semi-bluffs are more effective than pure bluffs because you can win the pot two ways: opponents fold immediately, or you hit your draw and win at showdown. Flush draws and open-ended straight draws are common semi-bluffing hands.
Example
You hold 9♠8♠ on a K♠4♠2♦ flop. You raise your opponent's bet with a flush draw — if they fold, you win immediately. If they call, you still have 9 outs to make the best hand.
Where this matters
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Related Terms
See Also
- Continuation Bet (C-Bet)- A bet made on the flop by the preflop aggressor, continuing the story of holding a strong hand regar...
- Check-Raise- To check when it is your turn to act, then raise after an opponent bets. The check-raise is a powerf...