Bluffing in Poker

There is a saying in poker that any two cards can win. This does have a little truth to it but it only really matters if you have to show your cards. All the other times it is what you try to make your opponents think you have. Making others believe you have the best cards even when you do not is the essence of bluffing.

Bluffing is an art and there are obviously good times and bad times to attemptit. The following is a few tips on bluffing and hopefully you can add this poker weapon to your arsenal.

First some don’ts:

Don’t try to bluff bad poker players – sometimes bad players don’t realize what you are trying to do and are only concentrating on what their hand is and not worried or not even care what you are trying to represent.

Don’t bluff at low limit holdem – some players will call to the end no matter what because the price to pay is so cheap. With that in mind, there is no need to bluff, just wait for a made hand.

Don’t bluff many players at a time – Trying to bluff more than three players in a hand can be tricky and the odds are against you.

Now some Do’s:

Do bluff if the board hits – bluff at a board that has just shown a possible flush, straight or some other draw that may have hit. Someone may have hit that draw so why not represent that it was you.

Do bluff good or tight players – remember bluffing is done to players regardless of the cards. If a good or tight player is looking for reasons to fold, give them that reason.

The best advice about bluffing in poker is to know your opponents. If you know they are tight and will fold to a raise, raise. If they check down a lot, bet. You can pick up a lot of pots this way but you have to be careful. If you are bluffing continuously, the better players will pick up on this.

Remember bluffing is an art and it takes timing, knowing your opponents and a little luck to pull it off successfully.