Poker And The Art Of The Bluff

To thine own self go ahead and be true, but this is a poker game.

Bluffing and poker go together like scotch and soda. The game of poker just calls out for a player to occasionally bluff. Some players are unbelievably good at it and others are hopeless failures at the art of bluffing. Why this happens can be analyzed and some conclusions stand out like sore thumbs.

The sequence of play has a great deal of effect on the winning bluff; it has to be set up properly and then carried out without a trace of fear. Any hesitation or fumble is likely to give it away to an observant opponent.

The Setup

The bluff needs three elements to be successfully pulled off by a player. The player needs position at the table in relation to the Big Blind. A reputation for tight play is also a plus for the bluffer. The player would be advised to check-raise the hand to give the other players the idea that you have a really big hand.

The final part of the bluff is that the player must be willing to fire again after the flop, and reraise if necessary. These are the actions of a player with a very good hand that looks like the winning hand to the bettor. Betting at the right moment helps to carry out the bluff. The bluff works when the other players are convinced that the bettor has a real hand. Multiple bets when given the opportunity is the part of the bluff that makes it work. If, at any time in the play, the bettor is faced with a substantial raise, the bettor should fold and try some other time to pull off a bluff. You really are looking for situations where the other players are stuck playing marginal hands.

To Show The Bluff, Or Not?

There are two schools of thought on showing a bluff after it has been run. The first school thinks you are giving away the fact that you will bluff when the time is ripe. This means that for the rest of the playing session someone is likely to call. If you show your bluff you will not be able to do it again later. For this reason most players will not show, as they want the other players to believe that they play only solid hands. This could make the difference when a marginal hand is up against the bettor. If the bettor has not been caught bluffing, then the marginal hand player will likely fold unless the player is a calling station.

People who always call are tough to bluff from a hand. A designated caller should be avoided when trying to run a bluff. Good players are often easier to bluff than weak players. Good players do not care if you bluff them out of a pot; they know that they will get their turn when the cards even out. They do not have this absurd idea that to be bluffed is to be dishonored somehow. They only want to call or raise on winning hands.

Picking The Time To Bluff

If all of the players preceding you have only called, then it is likely they all have drawing hands and not high pocket pairs. If the flop comes only small cards and no face cards or aces, it is likely that everybody missed his hand on the flop. A check-raise will usually ferret out a sandbagger with a strong hand. If the bettor is only called on the bets, it is likely the other player is still trying to make a hand. This is the time to put pressure on that player by making it expensive to draw. Substantial bets or reraises are hard to swallow when the calling player has only a drawing hand. Some players will never risk money on a draw, even when they should do so.

If you are playing against a hothead and you run a successful bluff, it may be worthwhile to show the bluff after the hothead folds. You may have them trapped the rest of the evening trying to catch you bluffing again.

Run A Bluff With An Excellent Drawing Hand

Bluffing with a good drawing hand is another way to look at bluffing. Let’s say that you have a hand after the flop that is four cards to the Ace high flush. If you hold the Ace, you have two chances to win: Pair the Ace or make the flush. It may be a good time to checkraise or at least reraise. Many times a raise at this point in the hand will cause the other players to fold, believing you already have a made hand.

If nothing else, the betting has created a major pot worth winning. Good cards or good bluffing are winning ways at this point in the hand. Winning this created pot can make a player more confident and even more aggressive. And aggressive players have an edge in poker games.

Conclusions

Bluffing is a true art form in poker when carried out in a skillful manner. Someone who has a reputation for bluffing may be called often just because of that reputation. This player is in the catbird seat, as he will get paid off handsomely in many pots he wins. One thing he should not do is bluff a lot in a game where he's likely to get caught simply due to the players knowing his tendency to bluff.
Players who never bluff are making the game of poker more difficult for themselves. You must bluff every now and then, just to let the other players know that you will do it at some time. If you get caught, so much the better, as you will be called when you have big hands as well. Getting as much money as you can in each pot is the way to insure a winning playing session. Winning big pots can make up for a rash of losing hands. It is not the number of pots you win; it is the amount of money you win from each pot.