Blinds are$1-$2. Game is $2-$100 spread-limit (max you can raise is $100 over the previous bet).

11:30 PM on a Saturday. I have a stack of $400. Villain is playing his very first hand: he just sat down to my right with twenty $2 chips and two $100 chips.

THE HAND: I open AsJc UTG (6-handed) to $8. Folds to Villain in BB who calls with three more $2 chips. Heads-up.

Before the flop comes out, Villain throws out a $2 chip. I ask the dealer “is that a dark bet?” Dealer asks the same to Villain. Villain nods in the affirmative.

FLOP: AhTh6c (pot: $18, heads-up). I…call (?) his $2 dark bet.

TURN: AhTh6c 7s (pot: $20, heads-up). Villain bets a $100 chip.

We???

I raise flop all day. We're pretty high in our range and while we don't necessarily want to play for three streets we can always check back later. Turn is stupid now. I'd probably fold unless I knew the guy was an idiot.

Good chance of being a bluff but it isn't worth calling to find out. This sort of play on the first hand is very often a villain doing something stupid to setup a reputation as loose/aggressive/crazy but it's also a good board for villain to hit if he started with a reasonable hand. I don't like getting into games with this sort until I have some idea how maniac they really are and how they really play.

Raise flop.

Call turn.

Call any river bet. But I'm guessing he'll check to us. I'd probably just check back AND make him show first. Because eff him and his dark flop bets. If he's embarrassed to show a stupid hand, good. He should be embarrassed.

This guy is FOS.

RESULT: I raise to $200. I decide that the “chip denomination tell” means I’m never folding, and also that if he has any piece of this board whatsoever that he will go all-in for a chance to double-up.

He calls (!) leaving himself $30 back (!).

RIVER: AhTh6c 7s 8c (pot: $420, heads-up). That sucks! He bets his last $30, I obviously call, he tables 8.

What a bizarre line from V. In a million years, it would never cross my mind to play 85s this way. This sort of line from an opponent often makes me wonder if it's got something to do with their read on me. Like, they perceive me as too aggro, and they're trying to slow me down with a dark donk bet.

Nice hand.

It’s funny that so much of the game is just simple math, but every once in a while you just get a vibe that “this guy came here to GAMBOOOOOL” and you stick in 125 big blinds with top pair, lol.

I really don't get what the dark bet is supposed to represent. Especially not when it's 1/8 pot. It seems to say, "it doesn't matter what my hand is, I'm just going to out-play you."

But that doesn't make a lot of sense with any hand that's strong enough to want to bet for value or protection. Like, what if you flop bottom pair with 76s and he flops top pair with A9 on a wet board, you flat call the $2, and pair your kicker on the turn? The flop action did nothing to define your range at all. Were you on a draw? Calling with any two cards? Did you smash the flop? What does he do with top pair now?

It seems most likely that his hand is $hlt pre-flop, and he's just hoping to set a cheap price to see the turn, and maybe he wants to see how you'll react, which is why I think we should raise flop. If he wants to out-play us, I say charge him more for the attempt. Our raise says, "I actually have a hand, I'm not just floating with any two cards," and forces him to think twice before making the massive over-bet on the turn.

I'd only flat call in spots where we have the nuts and want him to blast off on the turn. And even then, only if we're shallow enough to play a two street game. Otherwise I'd still be raising.

We're going to feel pretty dumb if he shows up with 76s here.