Know When to Bluff in Poker
Poker is more than just a game of percentages and outs, it also has a mental aspect to it. This is know as psychological combat, emphasized in all of the high stakes poker games that are flooding our TV screens. there are so many different psychological aspects to poker, but the one that gives poker it's exciting name and commonly shown in films, is bluffing.
To execute a great bluff shows both skill and courage. people feel great when they can out bluff another player to take down the pot. Bluffing is more dangerous but more profitable in no limit games, and if executed well is less likely to be called that during a limit game because many limit player's will hand on to the river hoping to catch their card, to turn the hand. Statistically you will beat these players if you play proper strategy but it still hurts when they catch their hand to take down the pot.
Trying to bluff in micro limit games are generally a waste of time, and will end up costing you money. Too many people at the smaller stakes are willing to pay to see your hand, so at the lower stakes, you are probably best to limit your bluffs because the chances are they will be called.
The higher up the stakes you go, the better opportunities you have to bluff. Often the best time to bluff is when their is a possible flush on the board and the play looks weak. You are representing that you have a flush. With your courageous bet, you are trying to trick the other players into folding. Never throw in a big bluff when there is very little in the pot.
The best form of bluff is known as the semi-bluff. If you put in a big bluff and get called, you still have an opportunity to win the pot. a good one could be three spades landing on the flop. You have the ace of Spades and a rag. if another spade lands on the turn or river, the chances are that you have landed the nuts
Another form of bluffing is slow playing. This can be a very dangerous move because by slow playing your hand you can often give another player the chance to improve on their hand. Again, using the flush flop board as an example, you look down at your cards and see a 6-3 of the same suit. You have flopped the flush and likely winning the hand. If you slow play at this time and another flush cards lands, you are in trouble. Any of the other players now only need one of the flush cards out of their hand higher than six to beat you. this gives them the opportunity to either bluff you because they could be easily beating your hand.
Be careful with your slow play. Many novices try to use this when the land pocket aces. I cringe when I see people do this. They don't realize that although AA is the best starting hand, it is only a pair. I've seen people letting 5 players see a cheap flop. They feel safe because they are holding the top hand. The flop goes against them. The big blind who got to see the flop cards has 2-7. The flop comes, 7-5-2. Now he has a better hand, and a deceptive one at this. The person with the pocket AA still thinks he is in the lead. He get's no help by the river, put's in a big raise and loses his entire chip stack.
I tend not to slow play unless I have a fantastic hand and suspect the other players are drawing dead against me, and if I think if the cards come out to help the other player make their hand. An example of this is when I flop a full house and I suspect the other player is hoping to catch a flush by the river.
Bluffing is an art form. It is a very skilled move. You have to take many factors into account. You need to study the other players habit to see if they will call you. You need to make sure you are not bluffing into a made hand. At the smaller stakes, far too many players bluff too often. they are easily spotted at the tables and the sharks just tighten up their game and wait for a big hand to sting them. You need to learn how to bluff effectively or the blinds will eat you up but use this tactic sparingly.
You can bluff more often when you are playing at a very tight table. If someone call's the hand or re raises, the likelihood is that they have made a hand, be prepared to fold to save losing further chips.
You will have less good opportunities to bluff when you are playing at a very loose table. The chips are flying around, left, right and center. You are more likely get called. If you intend to bluff on a loose table, just ensure it is a semi bluff and you have a few good outs to make your hand.
PHIL IVEY IS FAMOUS FOR HIS COURAGOUS BLUFF'S - HE IS A RESIDENT FT PLAYER
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