Betting the Scare Card
There are lots of ways to find a good spot for bluffing in poker. Many of times these ideas come off of ‘tells’: reads or ideas about your opponent’s hand, mostly based on their physical action or betting patterns, that lead you to believe they are weak. Betting when a board is extremely loaded and your opponent keeps checking can often be a clear spot to try to pick up a pot without a poker hand.
One of the most common spots, then, for stealing from an opponent who has represented a hand early on, is known as ‘betting the scare card.’ This can occur in a variety of kinds of spots, but mostly is used when an opponent has represented a strong poker hand early on, and the board appears to have completed a drawing hand.
For instance, when your opponent has been betting all the way, representing a hand like KK or QQ, seeing an ace on the turn on river can be a great spot to bet and try to steal the hand, under the assumption that they will be afraid of no longer having top pair. Betting, also, when straight or flush draws hit the board, are popular ways for aggressive players to try to steal.
