know-poker bluffing in a dead pot

Bluffing in a dead pot

In a poker tournament if a player is all-in to a multi-way pot, that main pot is called a dead pot, because any extra bets go into a side pot.

Commonly, experienced players will not bluff when there is a dead pot situation, more often choosing to check the hand down with anything less than the nuts. This benefits all the players in the tournament (except perhaps the all-in player). A player error is to bluff in a dead pot.

If a player does bluff in a dead pot, you may politely ask, "why did you do that."

The usual response from a them is; "I play for me."

Here is an example of bluffing in a dead pot. Sat around Bluff's poker table are a mix of players. The table has the politician all-in pre-flop, Bluff and Donkey have similar large stacks.

Donkey

(D) ~ Bluff

The vicar's daughter

sb $10 ~ A New York policeman

Your mum

bb $20 ~ A prominent British politician

Three players have folded and three have paid 3xbb to see the flop.

The board cards are (Ah 9h 3c) 6h 4c
		Pre-Flop	Flop	Turn	River
	Seat 3 XX	(1)Folds
	Seat 4 XX	(2)Folds
	Cut off Ks 3s	(3)Raise 3xbb	(8)Check	(11)Bets all-in	Shows a pair of 3's
	Dealer Kd 9s	(4)Calls	(9)Check	Folds
	Small blind XX	(5)Folds
	Big blind 7c 6d	(6)Calls (and is all-in)	(7)(all-in)	(10)(all-in)	Shows a pair of 6's	One pair (6's) win

The politician wins.

Instead of Bluff gaining a small number of chips and everyone at the table benefiting with the demise of the politician (in a tournament that means moving one place up the pay scale), the politician continues to play.

Because the donkey bluffed in the dead pot, the worst hand still lost. However, the play pushed off a stronger poker hand allowing the all-in player with the mediocre poker hand to survive in the tournament.

If you have a really strong hand in a dead pot then it is good to bet with it, but it is just plain dumb to bluff in a dead pot.

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