Hearing the Smooth Call

Date: 2005.04.11 | Category: Hand Of The Week | By: Phil Hellmuth   

In the 1996 World Series of Poker, I was watching my friend John Bonetti play a monster pot against the previous champion Dan Harrington. With only 26 players left in the championship and a $1 million prize up for grabs, Dan raised the bid up to $16,000 to go with Ks-10s, and Bonetti “smooth called” with his A-A.

The “smooth call” tactic refers to when you bid on a strong hand as if it were a mediocre one (calling opponents bets when standard theory says you should be raising them) in order to trick your opponent into thinking your hand is weak, enticing them to bet more.

Smooth calling entails a dangerous risk/reward scenario. By attempting to trap your opponents into betting more on hands they wouldn’t have otherwise, you also leave open the possibility that your competition might hit a lucky card and win.