Poker Hands From Episode 7 - A bluffing guy?

In an episode where we go behind the scenes on how Poker Night in America is made, Mike Dentale gives us a peak into the mind of a professional poker player. And surprising enough, there’s no good answer to one of the most basic questions in poker.

The hand itself is largely uneventful, with most of the focus being on the Greg Mueller’s and Mike Matusow’s tales of losing money playing non-poker games. Meanwhile, very quietly Mike Dentale raised to $250 with 10 ♣ 2 ♠ and Tom Schneider calls with J ♣ 7 ♣ . The flop of 4 ♦ 4 ♥ K ♥ gave Schneider a slight edge, which he promptly lost when the turn goes Dentale’s way with a 10 ♦ . Schneider kept up the pressure with a $300 bet, which Dentale called. The river of 8 ♣ gave Dentale the hand, but he didn’t know it yet. Schneider is the small bind and he goes in big, betting $1,000.

This caused Dentale to hesitate. After 15 seconds of silence from Dentale (and continued storytelling from Mueller) he looked at Schneider and said, “You don’t seem like the type of guy that would be bluffing.” At first the comment goes almost unnoticed, until Gavin Smith replied, “Look at his jacket.”

Someone asks, “What does a bluffing guy look like?” Despite the laughter at the table, Dentale’s question shows that no matter the level, some of the basic questions of poker never get answered. Players are constantly trying to read each other, and obviously, there is not one sure fire method. Schneider had used his previous play to establish his style at the table, but Dentale is new to the table and can’t read Schneider (or doesn’t think he can).

Dentale seemingly grows a little desperate, and asked Schneider, “Will you show me if I fold?” Schneider agrees, but the request elicited laughter from the table since the pot is so small (only $2,150). After a little more jawing from the table, Dentale finally decided to call and won the pot. And as host Chris Hanson perfectly summarizes, “Tom Schneider does look like the kind of guy who would bluff.”