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Poker: Poker Strategy: Bluffing
Online Poker Strategy. Importance of bluffingA vital element of poker is deception. Bluffing is the quintessential trick in poker. Of course, the reasoning for a bluff is to deceive the other players into thinking you have a better hand when you actually do not. For a bluff to work, you need the other players to think you actually have that better hand. Lots of beginner poker players love this idea of bluffing and often misuse it. The value of the bluff increases under certain general circumstances that often have a lot to do with information you assume about the other players. This vagueness makes it difficult to give definitive reasons or places to bluff.Some less generalized times to bluff and some advice are given below: A) When there aren't many other players in a pot Simply put, it's easier to trick a couple people than a crowd. With fewer hands out there, chances are better that no one has made a reasonable hand. This is fairly common though, so many players won't believe you. Some will stay in the hand for the next hand just to "keep you honest", so sometimes this needs to be a persistent bluff over a period of two or three betting rounds. That can be costly if they don't fall for it. You need to know the players before you use this type of bluff. B) When you're up against fairly tight players Those that tend to fold easily are the biggest targets of a bluff. Bets will be put out just as a form of information gathering on this player's hand. If you bluff early (pre-flop, flop) against a very tight player and they don't buckle, you should think twice about trying it again on a future round. They have something. Your job is to determine whether they have a made or drawing hand. Once again, you need to know the players. C) On the river This is a good tactic, especially if apparent drawing hands have missed. This is when players tend to react to rule of "the moment you know you can't win, throw in your cards". It is often a good idea to bluff with a weak hand, like ace-high or lowest pair with these kinds of bluffs, because some players will stay in just because of pot odds. If you do that, it is actually semi-bluffing (see later on). D) You're in late position and everyone else checked This one you'll have to gauge for yourself. It will most likely force some players out, but not all. This is a pretty common bluff once again, and many players will stay in just because of bet odds, and/or to once again "keep you honest". This is another example of a bluff that needs to be more persistent over a couple betting rounds. E) You bet pre-flop and missed A bluff here can work because they don't know that you have missed! This can be dangerous, and you really have to evaluate to board before you get into this one. Sometimes it's good to bluff when A-K misses, sometimes when 9-9 misses. You have to really feel this one out. F) You have given other players "the fear" It's about how other players perceive you. If you just won a hand through good play, the players who say "nice hand" are the ones who now respect you. They will more likely fold to your bluff if you play it right. The trick is to play the hand exactly the same way you played the other winning hand. Give it the "here we go again" act. G) When the flop isn't so great Some players will fold automatically if all they have is an overcard. With a rainbow flop of 2, 6 and 9, not many players will have much. This is another example of a bluff that can go horribly awry. I wouldn't be too persistent in this case, unless only more low cards pop up. Once again, know your players. H) Pre-flop on the button, and everyone else has folded This is usually best used with tight players to your left. It's good because it can change from a bluff to a deceptively good hand with luck and the right flop. I) When there is a pair on the board This is especially useful when the pair is 8-8 or lower. Chances are that these cards might have been folded or are still in the deck. This is one situation where you want to evaluate the hand very carefully if they do call though. This is a great situation to read the tells of the players who are NOT involved in the game. It's much easier to give away the fact that you HAD a card than if you HAVE it. Keep in mind that these are pretty common reasons to bluff. Many players know these reasons. Most of the time it just won't work. The main thing is always to know your opponents and not to bluff so often that it never works. When are THEY bluffing? This isn't about reading tells. This is about the situations where bluffing is plausible, and when other players will do it. You can generally look at the reasons YOU should bluff and apply them to other players. Of course, you also have to know the player, and evaluate it from there, but here are some ideas... A) They are keeping the initiative despite a poor flop If they bet pre-flop from a poor position, and the flop is something like 4, 5 and 5, they are probably just trying to keep momentum going and bluff their way out of this hand. They probably have genuine drawing chances with overcards or maybe an overpair, but a re-raise could have them rethink their strategy. It might also give you a betting round or two to try and make YOUR hand. B) Pot odds are in their favour If everyone folds on the turn with a big pot, like when an obvious draw was missed, expect a bluff. It's almost certain that anyone will bluff against a big pot. With the pot odds the way they are, you probably want to stay in those hands also. C) It's you and them The most common time to bluff is when you can pull it off. It's very easy to trick just one person. Use your skills at evaluating the previous rounds and the board to determine what they might have. D) The flop doesn't have any draws Sometimes someone will bet in this case to eliminate the ability to acquire a draw, sometimes because they have a good hand. You really have to know the player. E) They bet on the flop, checked on the turn If there was a draw, and it didn't hit, they are probably just buying a free card. Bet back against them and take the initiative. F) Bet on the flop, bet on the turn, checked on the river Same as before, but they bought another turn. Might as well bet back at them. G) They bet and tell you to "save your money" If they really wanted you to save your money, they wouldn't have bet. Sometimes players say that just to create the opposite image, so look out. Few are that crafty though, so tell the joker that they are bluffing and re-raise. Semi-Bluffing Semi-bluffing is a sort of bluff where you have a poor hand or a drawing hand that can possibly improve. Against players with nothing it functions a lot like a bluff. Against players with something it functions as a form of aggression. It is a powerful tool, as it can lead to a deceptively powerful hand if the cards come to you. It can also be a source of great loss if overused or misused. Semi-bluffing in Texas Hold'em is used best in bluffing situations. Its usefulness comes from the fact that players who recognize a bluff won't necessarily recognize when you make your draw. It is more useful (and preferable) against a lot of players, as opposed to outright bluffing, since the odds tend to be better. Other than that, you'll want to use semi-bluffing in late position, usually on the flop or turn, against mediocre flops, and against poor players. Reasons NOT to bluff Bluffing should not be an automatic reaction. When doing it keep in mind that everyone else is also looking for an opportunity to bluff. Maybe you spot them bluffing in a common situation or they spot you. It only works when you get away with it, so you must use it sparingly.Here are some times when you outright should not bluff: A) When players expect you to Don't be the fish. A huge leak can be bluffing in telltale situations against players who know them. That's a common money-maker for the other players. Always consider this rule before attempting a bluff. B) When you've been caught bluffing recently You've been labelled as a poor bluffer already. Ride it out. Let them forget that hand. Start rebuilding a reputation as a straight player so you can eventually try a bluff again later (and hopefully not screw it up again). C) Against a dangerous flop If the flop has an Ace, chances are that someone has a pair of aces. Aces tend to make it beyond pre-flop. Also, players tend to continue to play their Aces. Don't bluff against Aces. You also wouldn't want to bluff against a flop like K,Q and 9. Chances are someone has something they'll stick with. D) Against lots of players Chances are that someone has something that they'll stick with. By bluffing in this situation, you just become an agent of that player. From an odds perspective, this is never worth it. E) Against bad players As much as they love to bluff, they love to catch someone in a bluff. They're much more likely to "keep you honest" because they don't realize what a money-loser that is. It's much more profitable to play straight up in these games. Bluffing is only effective from a "fear" perspective in this case. Also, bluffing often involves representing certain cards and so if players do not pick up on your carefully considered and deliberate timing of bets, you'll end up being even more annoyed. F) You just lost a big hand or have lost a series of hands Not only might you be on tilt, but other players will expect you to be on tilt, and will more readily call you. G) You limped in, or are in a blind position You really have to evaluate the flop, but generally other players will think you have a poor hand and expect you to bluff. More information on Poker Strategy: Poker Probabilities The First Golden Rule of Poker
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