The context of this question is B&M cash games only.

Searching the forum I find lots of discussion about the wisdom or douchebaggery of people who flip over their cards for a reaction rather than acting while facing a heads-up river bet.

But I couldn't find any discussion of +EV reaction, except not to react at all - which I'm not convinced is best.

It's happened to me twice in recent sessions - in a room where it is allowed. Both times I was ahead.

One time I calmly said "Shall I crap myself?", which appeared to completely confused the villain and he folded. I have no idea how I meant that to work - it just came out of my mouth without thinking about it.

The other time I put a chip on my cards and started to push them towards the dealer as if I thought the villain had folded and I was trading my cards for the pot (the dealer immediately said "He hasn't acted".). I thought I was doing it in a way that telegraphed relief at his supposed fold, but didn't fool the villain and he folded.

In each case I had reacted instantly without having thought it out ahead of time. I know I left money on the table and I'd prefer to have a pre-planned range of reactions given the situation and am curious what the conventional wisdom might be.

If behind, I do lean toward no reaction at all.

But if ahead I'm wondering about returning the angle shoot favor by saying "good hand" and faking that I am about to muck - then "suddenly realizing" that his action didn't constitute a call, and sheepishly re-protecting my cards while I wait for him to act.

What do y'all think?

A Phil Laak article I'd read had a good philosophy about something like this. The point was that if you have a feeling your opponent is going to do the opposite of what you want him to do, then you have nothing to lose, so say or do anything that might help him change his mind. It's a freeroll at that point.

So, I'd probably try not to react at first, and then if you start to sense he's going to fold (sticking with the theme that you're ahead), try saying something (Anything at all). It can't hurt at that point.

We're making some assumptions here that villain has anything he'd seriously consider calling with. He is so far behind most times, and he's not stupid, and he knows he's behind. We are wrong to think that we can affect that decision. He's going to fold, end of story.

In cases where he is closer to being truly undecided or even leaning toward a call, then what we do or don't do matters.

The only way to ensure that you never give a tell is to have a policy in place for situations like this and to execute it faithfully every time, and this works well for Tom Dwan and for myself: Sit there and stare at the middle card of the flop without any reaction or speech or movement or increased breathing of any kind. Just in shutdown mode. Whether you're way ahead or way behind.

It's situations like these why I always wear sunglasses at the table, either 100% of the time or I put them on every time I see a flop with my hand, before the flop is put out. I don't want them to know where I'm looking, and the eyes betray.

I should say that I'm answering your question by stressing the importance of NOT giving a tell. This is because by trying to manipulate them into doing what we want, we eventually give away our game. Patterns get noticed. The only way to ensure a success rate of at least (and probably at most) 50% even with the best poker pros in the world is to follow the stoic / shutdown advice.

In both of the examples you gave, you telegraphed great strength. Give your villains credit for recognizing this. In the first example when you were way ahead, you immediately GAVE A SPEECH. Oh, and you didn't just give any speech, you ran the gamut from extremely formal ("shall"...who says that?) to extremely informal ("crap"). The wierdness of your language and the extreme contrast of the words all packed in such a spontaneous 4-word utterance is hard to figure, I will give you that. But the "shall" word gives away the game. You are being formal from the very beginning, like royalty would speak. Royalty runs things. Royalty is in charge. Your hand is in best, so you are royal. Another thing, you talk about pooping in your 4-word speech. People don't poop when they're uncomfortable. They poop when the situation is under control. Our gastro shuts down when we are under stress, in the moment, etc. When we know we have the crisis (the crisis of "will we win this hand or lose our ass?") under control, then we can eat and poop and pee again. Therefore it makes sense that you gave away the game by announcing that you are "ok to crap" now.

This speech-giving is notoriously reliable for strength in most players. Until I catch a player red-handed giving a speech when weak, this assumption has saved me countless dollars. Players who are strong feel like they own the table, they own that pot, they are the HNIC, etc. etc., table captain, whatever. They feel important. Important people dictate. They give speeches. They are heard, admired, they put people in awe. They take head trips. Giving a speech is a step down that path. You are asserting your alpha dominance. You are strong. Ergo they fold.

In your second example, the villain would have to be pretty stupid not to realize that you know damn well he didn't fold. All he did was flip his cards up. It was so obvious a reverse fake that anyone who has graduated from limit to no limit can see through it a mile away. You screamed PLEASE CALL so loudly that he folded what I'm guessing wasn't that weak of a hand.

Just don't give tells. You're not as good at giving reverse tells as you think you are. None of us are, except the pros. And even then, I see Tom Dwan do what I learned to do before I ever watched Tom Dwan do it.

idk what u can do to guarantee the action u want the villain to make. Great move by the villain btw. It's like too many levels to think of at table in split second depending on if u want guy to fold or call, or if u think guy is strong or weak etc, do u think he is showing to confirm a fold or a call and what u want to influence. It's hard enough to think it thru to try and explain here so it's even harder to do quickly in the moment at the table.
So...tip in advance. Have u ever been facing a headsup river bet from villain and villain pops off w smart remark while toking the dealer in advance of your action? Sometimes villain doesn't say anything but just looks at u thinking long and tips the dealer in advance. Reverse it back and try that move when villain shows cards. I don't tilt much but it has tilted me the few times it has happened. I got real pissed the 1st time it happened. It hasn't been done whenever I have shown my cards to get a read tho. Can't guarantee u will get the action u want, but u may put opponent on tilt for a quick bit, and maybe u can profit on that hand or later hands. I'm gonna have to start using that move plus it helps liven up the table a lil bit.

Wow, a bunch of great feedback, thanks.

Yeah I'd say that could well apply if we are ahead of the villain. If we are behind, unless I KNOW I know how to steer the guy, I'm going on lockdown.

First, thanks for the excellent detailed analysis. It was very compelling, but if you opening premise is accurate, what do I have to lose by probing for his hidden trip wire? If he's going to fold 10 out of 10 times anyway I can't hurt myself. Maybe all I will accomplish is to speed up his fold so we can all get on with our lives.

Neat idea. I've never seen that before - but I tried it last night twice when a villain was taking a long time responding to a heads-up river bet I wanted called. It worked once. Great fun and it did seem to amuse the table.

A third time I could have used it but was pretty sure the guy was going to call (he just didn't know how not to) so I did nothing. I got that call.

The time when it didn't work, did the thinker fold or did he call and beat u?

In both cases:

• I was confident I was ahead and really wanted the call.
• The villain had already taken a long time, and I believe was putting on a show in preparation for folding.
• I had been on lockdown during their show
• With little fanfare, I made a subtle statement to the dealer saying something like "let me get this out of the way" while flipping him a chip.

The guy who wound up calling was rocked. It got him sitting straight up and obviously annoyed. He had really looked foldy before, but after some apparently sincere frustration and discomfort, made the call and I showed him the nuts. Who knows what he would have done otherwise... but I am pretty sure he was not far from folding before I tossed the tip.

Who knows though... maybe he was contemplating a raise and I cost myself money.

The guy who folded was also rocked, saying "what? what did he say?" while I dropped back into lockdown. Somebody at the table told him what I'd said. Seeming more mystified than annoyed, he folded quickly with "wtf was that?" body language. I am 99% positive the fold was inevitable anyway. But again, who knows.

Neither of them showed their cards.

I'm unlikely to try this when I am not confident I'm ahead. Whether this made or cost me money I can only guess though I suspect it was +.

But it was certainly entertaining. And that's a big part of what gets me to make the 2 hour round trip to my nearest room.