Poker Strategy

What is bluffing?

The term 'bluffing' refers to a situation in which a player is engaged in an attempt to mislead his opponents regarding the real value of his hand. In general, bluffing, being a legal and highly common practice, is sometimes a very efficient winning strategy. However, serious bluffing strategies are not so easy to master. Poker pros practice for quite some time before they can bluff so successfully that such a strategy can actually help them outperform their opponents.

Pure bluff versus semi-bluff

There is quite a difference between pure bluffs and semi-bluffs. When a player's bluff is pure this means that he is betting and raising with an inferior hand without a chance of improving. A player who makes a pure bluff is genuinely convinced that his only way of winning is driving all of his opponents out of the pot. The pot odds for a bluff are the size of the bluff divided by the pot. Semi-bluffing, however, somewhat different. A player semi-bluffs when, although currently his hand is inferior, he has the hope of improving his hand in the near future. Such a player can nab the jackpot in two different way: either he will drive his opponents out of the pot or he will catch a card bolstering his hand.

How often should you bluff?

The answer to this question is rather ambiguous. On the one hand, poker experts recommend to bluff quite frequently to prevent attentive opponents from realizing that you only bluff when you have a good hand. On the other hand, if a player tends to exaggerate in bluffing, attentive opponents may ruin his bluffs by calling or reraising. What we mean to say is that bluffing can only be successful when done every once in a while. Occasional bluffing not only disguises the hands you intend to bluff with, but also conceals the strong hands that opponents may think you may be bluffing with. Accordingly, best bluffing is performed in such an astute manner that your opponents can't guess when you are bluffing and when you are not.

When to bluff?

So, how do you know when to bluff and when to refrain from doing so? Poker pros clam that bluffing is likely to be more useful in certain situations than others. Bluffs usually feature a higher expectation when the odds of being called decrease. There are particular circumstances that may decrease the odds of a player being called, for instance:

A. A player's bluff offers less favorable pot odds to opponents for a call.
B. The opponent's betting behavior indicates that he may hold a weak hand that is vulnerable to potentially stronger hands.
C. Opponents are not committed to the pot no matter what turn the game takes.

Bluffing: fair or unfair?

Bluffing is a traditional and online poker strategy like any other. Although some players may consider it less pleasant than others, it is still a legitimate strategy. We are, however, willing to admit that getting caught while bluffing is not a lovely experience, to say the least. But, if you never ever get caught, this just means that you don't bluff enough. Bluffing has it's own charm. What can be more exciting and satisfying than nabbing the pot after a fat bluff. Think about it, without the bluff you didn't stand a chance. If bluffing is your only chance, don't think twice -JUST DO IT. Bluffing is all about what you project to other players. It's either you do have a poker face... or you don't!