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HOME>>POKER TIPS>>The
Art of Bluffing
The ART
of Bluffing
Learning the art of the bluff is mandatory for any
serious player. It doesn't matter how smart you play, or how well you
calculate pot odds; you'll never make any serious money if you don't
include the occasional bluff in your game.
Bluffing at a high level takes years of experience to master, but I'll
cover some common situations where you will want to start thinking
bluff.
The thing about the bluff is that your apparent table image will
dictate how much bluffing you can get away with. This will change with
every session. The important thing to keep in mind is: What has
transpired in the session thus far? Try and keep a mental picture of
what type of player your opponents think you are, and occasionally bet
out of that character.
A lot of skilled players approach the game with furious aggression.
We've all been at the table with a maniac. If this style of play is
successful early in a tournament they can go on to dominate most, or
all, of the event. The presence of the maniac at a ring can create a
wider win/loss variance which can seriously increase or diminish your
bankroll. This style is rooted in bluffing and as the maniac's chip
stack grows, the size of the bluff will grow. It's about putting
short-stacked players into a position where they have to risk most, or
all, of their chips early in a hand. At a ring game it's about forcing
most players out of the hand, which increases their winning percentage.
Maniacs bet on what their opponents don't have in their hand, instead
of betting on what's in their hand.
Let's look at the role position plays in bluffing. The more information
you have, the easier it is to make a bet. If you're on the button and
everyone checks the flop, it may be a good time to throw in a bluff.
You should do more bluffing in late positions and expect more bluffs
from opponents when they are in late positions. Keep your eyes open for
players who will look to check raise your late position bluff. They
will most likely have a big hand. For that reason it's also a good
bluff to go over a late position raise, just to see if the late
position player was trying a bluff of their own.
Use
Bonus Code: RIVER88
Orphaned pots are another common situation where a bluff will prove
profitable on a good percentage. Let's say everyone checks the flop and
the button bets. You have a draw or a piece of the flop and call. A rag
comes off on the turn but this time the button also checks. He fails to
bet the pot the second time. If another rag comes off on the river,
this is a good spot to push this opponent because he is telling you he
thinks he's beat, and wants to save a bet. Just beware the check raise.
Short handed play must be played with the bluff as a foundation. When
the table is reduced down to three players or less, you should be
looking for situations where you recognize weakness in your opponents.
Also, you use the percentages to your advantage. Your opponent's hands
will be worse on average than a full game, so you will be able to force
players to fold more often. With only eight or six cards in play, the
likelihood of you being up against a premium hand has greatly
diminished.
The last one I'll look at is extreme flops. If a flop comes down 5, 5,
10, and I'm in a blind position, I'll usually take a stab and throw out
a bet. Your opponents will think it likely that the blind position
would have a 5, and the chances of your opponents having a 5 will
lessen if they paid to play the hand. A similar situation would be if
the flop was three of the same suit. Once again, beware the check raise.
Learning to bluff requires as much study and practice as learning pot
odds or positional play. Remember that your chances of bluffing
successfully increase as the number of opponents who you're trying to
bluff decreases. Record which bluffs were profitable and which ones
were not. Your data will tell you which ones you can keep in your game,
and which ones to omit. Good luck.
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