Bluffing and Texas Holdem Poker
In poker it's not only what's in your hand that counts, but also what people
think is in your hand. If you bet as though you have good cards, other players just may believe you
do have good cards. Therein lies the essence of
bluffing.
Being new to Poker, you may not have heard the term: A ROCK
A Rock is a player who waits for a surefire powerful hand before getting involved in a pot. He/she won't call or bet until the situation warrants that his/her hand can withstand anyone else's cards. Other players will pick up on these actions and the Rocks soon find that nobody stays around when they finally do bet, making their powerful hands practically worthless. That is where you must have a balanced way of playing, in such a way that you give out absolutely no information to your opponents as to your strengths or weaknesses. This is where bluffing comes in.
Of course there are good times to bluff and bad times as well. Here are a few insights into bluffing:
Don't
- Bluff bad players. Bad players don't necessarily know when they are beaten. So even though you may present yourself as having the stronger hand, they simply may not notice or may not care.
- Don't expect bluffs to work in low limit hold'em. If the cost to see your cards is not significant, why should your bet(or raise) keep anyone from paying to see them?
- Try to bluff many players. You may fool some of them, but if you don't fool everyone you are in trouble.
Do:- Bluff when the board says "someone" might have made a good hand. An example is when the third of a suit hits the board. "Someone" might have a flush. If you bet as if you have the flush, the other players may believe you do.
- Bluff against good or tight players. If you are in a pot with a player that looks for a reason to fold, give them one. Try betting big and making them think you have something they cannot beat.
Bluffing is something that is done between players, so the more you know your opponents the better. If a player is a
calling station and always calls a bet, don't bother trying to bluff them.
If players have caught you bluffing recently, they will remember it. If you try to bluff again too soon do not be surprised if someone calls you, just to 'keep you honest'. Of course this can be used to your advantage. If you find yourself with good cards right after being caught bluffing, you are more likely to have players call your bets, rewarding you with a bigger pot.
Some circumstances have risen as 'typical' bluffing situations. They can be used to your advantage, but veteran players may recognize the play and use it against you.
