Poker News: Bluffing

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Bluffing

Poker Strategy- Bluffing

The most common mistake new players to the world of Texas Hold'em Poker make is to bluff too much.

Maybe they are watching too many Hollywood movies but in the real world of poker and online poker in particular, the art of bluffing is just that, an art.

Far too often an inexperienced player will bluff time and again only to be called eventually and be busted out of a tournament.

You must pick your moment to bluff.

Bluffing at the start of a tournament is simply not worth it. The limits are minimal and the return is the same.

Later, when the blinds increase and stacks are growing you should Bluff a couple hands to keep people honest and get some chips for your blinds, Don't be greedy.

Sometimes when you try and steal the blinds you will get called with a big raise. Let it go.

If you haven't had a bet for a while, the table will presume you have got a hand when you do bet, so unless someone gets dealt a high pocket pair you have already taken the pot with no risk.

At some stage in the tournament you will likely have to make a decision on whether you are going to risk all your chips with nothing.

This is when you will know if you have the skills to be a successful bluffer when playing poker.

Pay attention to who is betting and how they are betting on the table. You may find an easy target that bluffs continually shoving all his chips in the middle.

Firstly, you have to set him up. Wait for the big blind to come around to you. Most players won't want to get involved with the aggressive player unless they have a hand so hopefully you can do some damage to him before someone else does.

You have been folding your cards, playing tight. The cowboy is on the small blind you are the big blind. Everyone folds, leaving just you and the cowboy. He raises the pot; you simply call. He shoves half his stack in the middle; you wait a moment, and then fold.

Now you have to show patience, for this to work. You can give him your next big blind too, after you have called his raise.

Third time lucky, now its time to get our money back and then some.

This time, again, call his raise. When he shoves half his stack in the middle you can go over the top immediately, as though you have been waiting for him to bet half his stack if not all of it, and shove all your chips in the middle.

At which point he will be thinking whooooooops I've been set up. You can have 23os it won't matter. Unless he hit a set or went in with AA KK or QQ this hand is yours.

Why does this Poker Strategy work?

The cowboy knows he has been stealing your blinds with his aggressive play. He knows you're sitting there waiting for a hand to bust him. Now he knows you have that hand.

BUT you have to be willing to lose your stack with nothing. Do you have the courage to bluff when playing poker?

posted by Poker Player at Bluffing

---