Poker

When playing from the blinds, many top players try to lose as little money as possible. They are forced to come into the pot without seeing their cards, and they likely will be out of position for the hand.

But that situation also presents a chance to take down an unraised pot with a semi-bluff, because opponents know that the blinds could have any two cards instead of the big hands that players who voluntarily enter the pot are given credit for. With blinds at $600-$1,200 as players battled to get into the money in a $2,000-buy-in no-limit hold 'em tournament at Bellagio in Las Vegas in December 2005, the respected Richard Tatalovich limped from early position with A-10 and a stack of about $27,000.

Action folded to David Plastik in the small blind. With about $21,000 in chips, he completed the bet while holding 9-4 of spades.

"I had chips and there was another player in the pot, so I'm getting odds," Plastik said. "There was value in playing suited cards and trying to get lucky. If a 9 comes, I'm not going to go crazy on it. I know I'm only going to go crazy on it if it's a flush draw or if I can make a big hand."

The big blind checked, and the three players took a flop of 10-7-3. Plastik checked his flush draw. The big blind also checked. With top pair/top kicker, Tatalovich bet $5,000.

Plastik saw a chance to make a move, so he semi-bluffed by raising all in for an additional $16,000. This is the advantage a player in the blind can have in a limp pot. Plastik could be making this move with a set of 3s.

"That's why I made the move, thinking he would lay it down because I could have any hand," said Plastik, who was an accomplished photographer of rock bands before coming to poker.

If Plastik had just doubled Tatalovich's bet, he would've been committing more than half his stack, which is essentially the same as committing all his chips, so he moved in.

"I don't want him to call, so I figured the only way I could put the pressure on him was to put him all in," Plastik said. "I don't want him to make a move back on me.

"After a while, he decided he had the best hand, and he was actually right. I was very surprised that he took a chance with that hand because he could easily not have the best hand."

Tatalovich was getting almost 3-1 on his money _ calling $16,000 into a pot of about $47,000 _ and couldn't think he was a 3-1 underdog while holding top pair/top kicker. In fact, he was a 3-2 favorite.

But the turn came the jack of spades, giving Plastik the flush and the pot.

"It's a limp pot _ that's the thing," Plastik said. "You're not supposed to go broke in a limp pot. I could easily have 3-7, 10-7, so many hands. I was very surprised that he called."