Bluffing to Beat The Odds When Playing Poker

The only way to bluff well is to understand the art of bluffing. Let a professional Texas Holdem poker player help you create a strategy that will help win more pots, whether playing in a local land based casino or one of the best online casinos.

A bluff, by definition, is a bet or raise player A makes when their cards have no chance of winning. This can be a valuable weapon when used properly. Players see more bluffing in no limit poker games and tournaments. Soft bluffing can work better than an outright bluff. The danger comes when an opponent starts tracking your habits.

The showmanship in televised Poker Tournaments, movies, and Vegas television shows has lead to misconceptions about the frequency of bluffing in Texas Hold’em Poker and other Poker Games. New poker players may have the wrong impression and focus on the wrong elements of the game.

A bluff, by definition, is a bet or raise player A makes when their cards have no chance of winning. This can be a valuable weapon when used properly. Gambling is not a science.

The last card is the ace of spades…. I have a flush ace high….nobody can beat me….. I go all in…..The other person calls and the same card that gave me an ace high flush gave him a full house. This is not considered a bluff. Both players held a strong hand. Both were positive they held the winning hand.

Limits When Bluffing

Players see more bluffing in no limit poker games and tournaments. This is because players are playing both their opponents and their stack size. Bluffing is dangerous in Texas Hold’em poker where players usually show down the best hand. Bluffs work best when you are heads up against your opponent.

New players should avoid bluffing in low limit games. There are trends in poker. Amateurs tend to stay if they catch part of the flop, even a low pair. When the stakes are a little higher, bluffing works as long as the pot is small. Another good place to bluff is in short handed games.

There are some times when a bluff can put the player in a positive position. It is possible to steal the blinds with a bluff after everyone else has folded. This can work, as long as a pattern does not emerge. A clever player will notice if you raise every time you are on the button.

This technique may also backfire when playing with an opponent who will defend their blinds at all cost.

Soft Bluff

Soft bluffing can work better than an outright bluff. In the above example, the players may have bluffed and raised early in the game, hoping for the ace. The hands are good. There is hope. It all rides on one or two cards. In the above hand, both players hoped the other would fold.

The danger comes when an opponent starts tracking your habits. They may learn how to tell when you hold a good hand, and fold early. They may learn how to identify your bluff, and call it.

Basic Bluffing Strategy

The Rule is, “If you get caught – you are bluffing too much. If you are never caught - you do not bluff enough." This is a basic rule of thumb, but the true secret is to ‘keep them guessing.’ If you are terrible at bluffing, pretend to bluff when you know you hold the winning hand. Don’t bluff when you hold a bad hand. More important, make sure that you bluff when it is ‘smart.’ This reveals a level of skill that will keep most opponents guessing, and may cause them to pause before going all in and forcing you to fold.

Skill

Bluffing starts long before it is time to bluff. A good bluff starts before the hand is delt. A good bluff is played every hand, no matter how good, or bad, the cards are. You can learn how to play poker but you will not win consistently until you learn how to bluff.

Ray Morris is a professional poker player and published author. He is a regular contributor at www.win247.co.uk where he teaches people How To Play Poker at Online Casinos. You can ask Ray Morris question by placing a comment on an article, or using the 'contact us' form.