Bluffing

Bluffing is one of those poker tricks that either makes you really good or really bad. The difference often lies in knowing how and when to bluff. A poor player might as well just give you his money, not that he has a tell, but rather he just picks the wrong times to bluff. On the other hand, a great bluff is a thing of beauty. You don’t see it coming and if by chance you do, it doesn’t matter because the situation makes calling the wrong play anyhow.

Like any poker play, bluffing is all about overall expectation. You are not trying to win a particular hand, you are trying to make the play that offers you the highest expected profits over time. Developing a strategy or overall approach to bluffing is a key element in your overall game. Below are a few tips and common mistakes that will help you in forming your own ideas on how and when to bluff.

1. Sometimes a busted bluff is not a bad thing. You don’t have to win every bluff to make it worthwhile. Think of bluffing as risk vs. reward. In most cases, your risk in a bluff is one bet to win several. So a single successful bluff makes up for 1 or 2 unsuccessful attempts. Even when you do get caught, it may get you a few extra callers the next time you have a strong hand.

2. Be aware of how many players are in the hand. If you are thinking of bluffing with 4 or more people in the hand, think again. Unless you’re trying to scare out a few players to protect your hand, you should limit the majority of your bluffs to hands involving 3 or fewer players. Any more than that and you’ll usually get an “I’ll keep you honest call” which are words you never want to hear when your bluffing.

3. Know the table. Before trying to bluff anyone you should have a good idea of the types of players you’re up against. Keep your bluffs aimed at mediocre players. If they are horrible, they’ll call no matter what. If they are great, they are more likely to call for future reference (to get a read on how you play).

4. Be sure you are in position to bluff. Hold’em is a game of position. If your opponent has already checked, you are in a much better position to bluff. Watch out for a trap or re-raise if a strong player checks to you. There’s nothing worse than trying a bluff and getting check-raised.

5. A semi-bluff is always better than a total bluff. Consider bluffing with a draw or mediocre hand. That way if your bluff does not drive out your opponent, you still have a chance to make your hand and win the pot. Most of your bluffs should not be true bluffs. They should be semi-bluffs.

6. Don’t over bluff. People who over bluff get calls they normally wouldn’t. This is fine if you have the best hand, but in cases when you’re just barely ahead or someone is on a draw, being labeled a frequent bluffer will just give other players an excuse to call and out draw you with hands they would normally lay down.