What three things made Tony Denove bluff on this dangerous river card?

This hand recently occurred during a high-stakes cash game at Bally Live Poker at the Commerce Casino and Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The blinds were $25/$50 with a big blind ante of $50.

This hand was gutted Tony Denove against Justin Brown. Both players are professionals who play in the Los Angeles area.

In the video above, Denove talks about the hand moment by moment, providing exclusive insight into the thought process of a successful cash game grinder.

Late start

Denove studied music in college, learning all aspects of the industry, but primarily focused on the writing and production side. After graduating, he packed up and moved to Los Angeles. When no jobs initially came up, he found poker as a viable source of income.

“I’ve been playing for almost eight years now,” Denove said. “I moved up to the small cash games, $2/$3, $5/$5, and eventually started playing higher. The music business is tough, man. Poker seemed much more stable than the arts and entertainment world.”

Strategy tip: What to look out for when making a bluff

“If you’re bluffing on the river against a strong range, I think it’s crucial that you have several positive factors for the hand/situation to think about a good place to bluff.

“Some things I’m considering are Blockers, Range advantageAnd Population trends. It’s not enough for me to trigger just one of these factors in my favor, but if you can group a few of them together, your likelihood of success increases.

“In the hand we reviewed at Bally Live Poker, I had relevant blockers and I was able to credibly reproduce some very strong hands that my opponent couldn’t.

It is important to know your opponent

“When you play a completely theoretical game, you can often focus on the wrong things. Almost all opponents will not be as naturally aggressive as theory suggests, and good plays against an inaccurate range will mislead you and cost you money.

“It is very important to note that some players’ ranges contain bluffs and low-value bets, while other opponents may always have the top of their range.”

So what to do?

“My advice is to stay in the moment and do your best understand your opponent’s ranges that are actually in playand not what you think based on your study of poker theory.”