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Success with Bluffing in Poker

Bluffing is a critical part of any balanced poker strategy, if you only raise with a strong hand then observant opponents would be able to play correctly against you, costing money over time. However, many inexperienced poker players, particularly those who have seen poker only on televised final tables, think that poker is all about big daring bluffs. This is a sure-fire way to lose money quickly! This article will look at the art of bluffing by assessing the right situations and methods with which to bluff.

There are actually many different types of bluff in poker. We will start by looking at the most common distinction, between the ‘pure bluff’ and the ‘semi-bluff’. Next the number of opponents is brought into the discussion – followed by some notes concerning ‘flop texture’. Finally the art of telling a convincing story with your bets – and how this affects the chances of a bluff succeeding – are taken into account.

The ‘pure bluff’ or ‘bluff with air’ involves making a bet that can only win the pot in one way – your opponent folds. While many factors go into the chances of this happening the important factor here is that if you are called, then you will lose the hand. This makes the ‘pure bluff’ a potentially dangerous move – especially when a large amount of chips are involved.

The semi-bluff is preferred by most poker experts. This describes a situation where you do not have the best hand, but if you are called then you have ‘outs’ which could potentially let you win the hand. For example you have 4 cards to a straight and expect your opponent has a pair. A big bet here may win the pot when your opponent decides that their pair is no good. However if you are called then there are still 8 cards in the deck that could complete your straight.

With 2 ways to win the hand the semi-bluff can be a profitable move even when, taken separately, the component parts would not be. In this example the chances of your opponent folding may be low enough to make the bluff part alone unprofitable. The chances of catching your straight on the river may be too small to justify calling a bet. However the combination of the two factors means that a semi-bluff will win money over time.

The number of opponents that you face is a critical element in the art of bluffing. The golden rule here is that the fewer opponents you have the better. One opponent is the ideal situation (especially if they have not shown much strength), two is possible but getting dangerous. Do not try and bluff 3 or more opponents with no hand and no draw – this will rarely be a profitable move.

When considering a bluff the ‘texture’ of the flop needs to be taken into account. This is particularly important where there are many draws available – for example J-10-8 with 2 hearts would be a very bad flop for a ‘pure bluff’. The reason is that opponents may call you with draws to straights or flushes, or may call you with already made hands – and you will not know which. When the board is ‘draw heavy’ avoid bluffing where you do not have outs to win the hand yourself.

Many inexperienced player’s bluffs fail because their betting throughout the hand was inconsistent with the board cards and hand they are now representing. The most common example is a player who calls bets on a 2-suit flop and turn, then pushes all-in where the river does not complete a flush. An opponent with a strong made hand is likely to call this bet – since the bluffer played the rest of the hand as if they were drawing to a flush. The river bet in this case does not make sense in the wider context of the hand.

Good luck!

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