Feigning weakness

Poker has two elemental and essential tactics - feigning strength and feigning weakness. You could say these are really two sides of the same tactic. Last night, I won my biggest pot of the night by feigning weakness. I was dealt 9s Qs and hit a flush on the turn, when there was only one other player still in the hand. I bet $2,400 into a $14,500 pot, and my opponent called. On the river, I bet $4,600 into a $19,300 pot, and my opponent raised all in. I called, and won a pot worth $50,974. My river bet was very weak - not quite double my turn bet. I was trying to mimic how a player who'd missed his draw but was trying to buy the pot might bet. I'm certain that if I'd gone all in on the river, my opponent would have folded. Shows of weakness can often provoke shows of strength; in this case, my opponent was desperate not to go to showdown since he had nothing. The problem with feigning strength is that it won't scare off actual strength. In cash games, I make it a rule never to bluff all in, as my opponent did in this case. In tournaments, such plays are a required part of your repertoire.

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 56 hands and saw flop:
 - 5 out of 8 times while in big blind (62%)
 - 3 out of 7 times while in small blind (42%)
 - 18 out of 41 times in other positions (43%)
 - a total of 26 out of 56 (46%)
 Pots won at showdown - 5 of 8 (62%)
 Pots won without showdown - 4

delta: $14,555
cash game no limit hold'em balance: $5,062,859
balance: $7,512,267