Sandbagging is more or less the opposite of the bluff. Instead
of aggressively betting on a weak hand, the sandbagger bets weakly on
a strong hand. There is a specific move associated with the sandbag,
known as the check-raise. The check-raise is checking during the first
round of play, while the table is still open, and then raising on the
second round. Some house rules and casinos—with low stakes tables—do
not allow this.
The sandbag has several considerations, which must be made, in order
for it to be successful. The first and foremost is the strength of your
hand. By placing a bet, you protect your hand against drawing hands (A
hand which needs different cards to be effective.) This is because an
opponent is more likely to fold a weak hand after a raise. Because of
this, you should only sandbag when you feel your hand is strong enough
to win outright. With this in mind, sandbagging is most effective when
you believe your opponents will raise when you don’t, and will fold
if you raise.
The final tactic of sandbagging occurs during the final round of play,
and is known as “fishing for the overcall.” In this instance,
the idea is to call another players raise, in the hopes that the players
after you will overcall, instead of folding. If you were to raise, the
players behind you may have a greater chance to fold, which means less
of a pot for you. “Fishing for the overcall” works best when
you are second or third in the order and there are still a few players
remaining after you.
