The Art of Bluffing

By Steven Derbyshire

The do's and don't of bluffing could fill a book on their own, but here are a few of the most crucial things to keep in mind:

- Avoid bluffing out heavy winners: they can afford to Call and usually do.

- Newbies are often desperate to know what you've got and they will call just for the sake of knowing.

- Veteran players play a clever game are analyzing your actions more closely and are often easier to bluff.

- Ask yourself how best your cards might look to the other players. Don't bluff without at least a bittie in your hand to make it look threatening.

- As a general rule bluffs have a better chance to work well at tight tables, and are pretty much doomed to failure at loose tables unless all the "loose players" have already folded.

- Good sense tells you that the more people you are seeking to bluff the less chance you have of it working. Remember your goal is for everyone to fold.

- Bluff from late position if possible. If everyone is checking calling or folding in front of you it's an ideal time to try and buy the pot. It's not advisable to bluff from early position because you have no hint as to who has hit their hand or been dealt killer cards.

- A lot of people would debate that to bluff with "outs" isn't a true bluff. But logic orders that you're better served bluffing when there is at the least an outside chance of you making a decent hand. This is also referred to as a "semibluff" and is made when there are still cards to come.
For instance you are dealt AK in a Texas Hold 'em game and the flop entirely misses you with a board showing J, T, these might constitute a good time to go ahead and bluff at the pot. You are representing a big pair or that you caught a piece of the flop, and your show of strength might prompt the rest of the table to fold, giving you the pot right there.

Even so, even if someone does call your bluff you have outs. An ace or king on the turn or river gives you top pair and if a queen hits you have the nut straight. Bluffing with "outs" simply means that even if the bluff does not work you're not completely beat

- So many people think that if they bluff a lot and play loose and crazy poker, it makes their bluffs harder since no one can ever be sure what they have. It in reality works the exact opposite. As anyone who's played long knows, bang-up cards don't come often so the chance that the wild player is holding trash is generally higher than the chance that he's got good cards. Therefore strong players almost always call crazy bluffers. On the other hand it's very difficult to call a person's bluff when they forever play good cards.

When you have the image of a strong player who casts off the trash cards, the other people at the table know that odds are you have good cards and to call the bluff is taking a big gamble. Play a good number of hands at any one table and build your table image before trying to bluff.

You'll have the chance to apply all your new found skills online in many venues.

Steven Derbyshire has been an avid Poker Player for over 15 years. Now he wants to share his knowledge and help newbies entering the World Of Poker. He can be visited at his site http://www.pokersitesreview.eu

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