Bluffing into dry sidepots...when dumb people get dumber

[Penguinfan]

Keep in mind the intent of the thread, you are not technically bluffing into the side pot here, you are finding out where you are in the hand. I think we are talking about a stone cold bluff into a pot where you stand to win nothing with that A high.

In your example if you bet and get played back at then you can fold knowing you don't have the live player beat anyway, and if you don't have him beat you get no piece of the main pot anyway.