When To Bluff In Poker
Being a good bluffer in texas hold 'em is a crucial step in becoming a successful poker player. There is a lot more skill involved in becoming a good bluffer than most players realize. Knowing when to bluff is one of the most important aspects of bluffing. You should only bluff when you feel that your opponent will fold. However, it is not always easy to recognize when they will fold. Let's take a look at a few tips to help you understand when to bluff in poker.
The number of players in the hand is an important part of bluffing. Obviously it is easier to bluff one or two players then it is to bluff three of four. Try bluffing more when you are heads up in a pot and less when you are involved a multi-way pot. This is a basic tip but this alone will increase the success rate of your bluffs.
You need to always make sure that your bluffs are believable. By believable I mean they must tell a consistent story. For example, if you bet the flop and get called and then check on the turn there is a good chance that if you bluff the river you will get called. Your river bluff will get called quite often because you checked the turn showing weakness. Now your bet on the river looks like a bluff because it doesn't tell a consistent story. Your opponent will think you are weak because you checked the turn therefore they will call you on the river if they have any decent hand at all. Let's say you bet the flop and bet the turn and are thinking about bluffing on the river. It makes more sense to bluff in this scenario because you showed strength the whole time by betting both the flop and turn. In this scenario your bluff is more believable and your opponent will give you credit for a strong hand and fold most of his hands.
A good rule to follow when bluffing is that you should only bluff when your last action was strong (a bet or raise) and / or your opponent's last action was weak (a check or call). Keep this rule in mind when bluffing and you will be much more successful at it.
A good time to stop bluffing is when you have been caught bluffing a few times by your opponents. Your opponents are now aware that you have been bluffing quite often and now will be more likely to call your bets making your bluffs less successful. Now is a good time to tighten up your game and only bet when you have a strong hand because everyone suspects that you are always bluffing. Once you have played tight for a while you can loosen up your game again and start bluffing once again. This will keep your opponents guessing which is very important in poker.
The number of players in the hand is an important part of bluffing. Obviously it is easier to bluff one or two players then it is to bluff three of four. Try bluffing more when you are heads up in a pot and less when you are involved a multi-way pot. This is a basic tip but this alone will increase the success rate of your bluffs.
You need to always make sure that your bluffs are believable. By believable I mean they must tell a consistent story. For example, if you bet the flop and get called and then check on the turn there is a good chance that if you bluff the river you will get called. Your river bluff will get called quite often because you checked the turn showing weakness. Now your bet on the river looks like a bluff because it doesn't tell a consistent story. Your opponent will think you are weak because you checked the turn therefore they will call you on the river if they have any decent hand at all. Let's say you bet the flop and bet the turn and are thinking about bluffing on the river. It makes more sense to bluff in this scenario because you showed strength the whole time by betting both the flop and turn. In this scenario your bluff is more believable and your opponent will give you credit for a strong hand and fold most of his hands.
A good rule to follow when bluffing is that you should only bluff when your last action was strong (a bet or raise) and / or your opponent's last action was weak (a check or call). Keep this rule in mind when bluffing and you will be much more successful at it.
A good time to stop bluffing is when you have been caught bluffing a few times by your opponents. Your opponents are now aware that you have been bluffing quite often and now will be more likely to call your bets making your bluffs less successful. Now is a good time to tighten up your game and only bet when you have a strong hand because everyone suspects that you are always bluffing. Once you have played tight for a while you can loosen up your game again and start bluffing once again. This will keep your opponents guessing which is very important in poker.
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