Bluff-catcher
A hand that beats only the other player's bluffs and loses to all of their value bets.
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- What it means
- A bluff-catcher has no value of its own against a betting range: whether calling is right depends entirely on how often the bet is a bluff.
- How it is calculated
- Calling a bet with a bluff-catcher earns bluff share × (pot + bet) − (1 − bluff share) × bet, compared with folding.
- Worked example
- You call a 10bb river bet into 20bb with second pair. If 30% of these bets are bluffs you earn 30% × 30bb − 70% × 10bb = +2bb; if only 15% are you lose 4bb.
- Why it matters
- It separates the hands where the opponent's tendency decides everything. Against under-bluffers you fold them, against maniacs you call them.
Try it: Bet sizing against a capped range
Lessons that teach it: Bluffs as a share of every bet, Calling with a bluff-catcher · lessons other than the free one need an invite
See also: Bluff share, Pot odds, Best response