How to bluff in poker
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Bluffing is an art in all forms of poker. It is without a doubt, a fact that if you do not bluff in poker, there is no way you can be a successful poker player. That being said, bluffing is no small task in poker. It can be frightening, scary and embarassing when you are called down. Just remember however, that you're playing correctly when you play to bluff. If you get called down, at least you tried.
In most Texas Hold'em games played around the casinoes, structured is the most common method played. Your only method of communication with other players is raise, call or fold. Unlike no limit where you can shove your stack all-in and put a man to his money and have him sweat profusely over the decision he is about to make, in structure, especially low limits, many times people are more than willing to call you down if you randomly attack with a bluff. As cool as it might sound to tell yourself that you're going to bluff everyone out of the next hand no matter what, it's not going to happen. If it does, it's by luck - because bluffing, is an artform.
When to bluff? If you have studied hold'em or really poker in general, you'll know that position relative to the button is huge. Playing your position correctly is how you will maximize your money, bluffing or no bluffing. Adding a bluffing game on top of position is *key*. Bluffing will usually take place when you are furthest from the button or sitting on the button itself. Why? Because you can see all the action before it comes around to you. In a tight game, often times if no one pairs, it will be checks across the board to you, especially with rags on the table. In this case, this is almost always an excellent time to bet out. With rags on the table, it is highly unlikely at a tight table for anyone except maybe the big blind or small blind to have made any kind of big hand on the flop. That being said, pay *close attention* to the small and big blind at all times because they can be going into the flop with anything under the sun, whereas other players you can discern some sort of pattern based on their prior playing style. So, again, checks to you and you bet out. I'd say 3 or 4 times out of 10, everyone at the table will fold. Suppose the game is tight and there are 4 callers (including small and big blind) to the table, including yourself, that makes it a $12 pot on a 3/6 game. If you bet out, that's 4:1 pot odds if you take the pot down. That means, as long as you can with this pot 1 out of 4 times, you've broke even. That being said, by carefully watching your opponents and how they react to the flop - you should be able to know whether or not you've got a 1 in 4 chance of taking down the pot.
So, lets say 1 out of 4 times you do take the pot down right then and there on the flop - you've already broken even if there are 4 players each time. Now, the turn has come and everyone checks down again - should you bet again? Well, it certainly depends now doesn't it! Look at what is on the board and try to figure out why someone would want to keep going down the board. If there two to a suit, you can guess that someone may be looking for a flush. Two connectors, someone may be looking for a straight. Face card showing, then someone is probably calling with a low kicker or has a monster up their sleeve. Someone may also be calling with two pair or trips. Here is where you can't just be the next Joe randomly tossing your chips in for the sake of being agressive. You *must* think why are they calling?
Don't do the stupid thing and bewilder yourself with the common exclamation that so many rocks do and go 'Who would call with that?!?' - obviously your opponents *are* someones calling with that. If you're trying to bluff out a calling station, you've just made the wrong move. If you're trying to bluff out a fish who rides the waves of luck, you've probably made a mistake.
Anyhow, back to the turn, should you bet out again? Let's say one person folded and two called on the flop. You got two checks and you decide to bet out. $6 for your bet. $12 in the pot earlier, plus 3 bets from the flop, makes it $21 total in the pot when you bet. Your odds are now about 3.5:1. You need to win this pot once every 3.5 hands in order to break even. Still not too bad right? Maybe. This is where it can get scary if you get re-raised, because you got nowhere to go. Your only hope of course is that everyone folds out. You pay close attention to the board and how fast your opponents are willing to call you down. If he thinks long and hard, he's either holding a wicked monster, or he really is quite weak and trying to decide whether to take you on or not. If he's a quick caller, he's probably decided in his head already what action he is going to take, which is usually indicative of a straight or flush draw. If you see that on the table, you can probably bet on that being their play. If there are none on the table, you certainly have to start wondering.
So now, let's say one of them folds, and you now are heads up on the river with that bastard who just won't go out. Two bets and he's still there with you. What now? You're thinking maybe you made the wrong move and bluffed out the wrong guy. Or, maybe the board didn't make the flush or the straight. You don't want to check because then he will obviously check - or even bet! if he sees you check it down. Either way, there's almost no way to win the pot if you showdown with nothing. However, you've already put $9 of your own dollars into the pot - do you really want to put in another $6 to see if he will fold now, even though he lasted through two rounds of betting? The river may be one of the hardest places to decide whether to bluff or not. In my experience, I've usually found that many players who decided to call down to the river will call a showdown, even if they are holding weak hands. A good player who has caught onto you will call you down with a weak hand and expose you for the bluff that you are. At the same time, an exceptionally bad player, also holding a weak hand may opt to call you down because he doesn't know any better. Personally, I'm not sure which is worse. Realizing that another player was able to put you on your hand and cold call your raises knowing you held dirt, or playing a perfect bluffing game, only to be thwarted by someone who, faced with numerous warning signs, completely ignored them out of his own stupidity and managed to win.
If you're up against a solid player on the river, it's wise to check it down as they are probably onto you. If you're lucky, they might even raise so you can muck your hand and not get seen as a bluffer. If they are tight, that is probably the best time to make yet ANOTHER bet on the river, in the hopes they will go out. By then, it's $32 in the pot, with a $6 bet. You need to win that 1 out of 5 times to break even. However, remember that it is still $12 of yours in that pot, with another $6 to bet. You could thus loose a total of $18 when your whole goal initially was to win $9 of everyone elses money.
An easy way to look at bluffing from a non-bluffing perspective, is just to think 'What if you were holding a good hand?'. Then it's easy, because although it's not true, but it always seems like this is the case: when you are holding a powerful hand, everyone and their grandma is out to call you down to the river. You are scared as hell when that happens because you don't want to get rivered. Sure, all the pros will tell you that it's about the long game, faith in math, statistics work against them.. but living in the present hand, for THIS HAND ONLY, you DON'T want anyone to deprive you of your long awaited pot. How many hands do you actually play where you make it to the river and not have anyone showdown against you? Very few really, at least in my experience. At least compared to how many showdowns you actually do get. I'd peg it around 1 out of every 6 showdowns maybe the other person simply folds. So, it's up to you, but unless you really have the feeling your opponent is weak, swallow hard and check it down.
The only way to get good at bluffing is to observe people and start bluffing yourself. Good luck!
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