My efforts to improve my Texas Holdem poker game never stop. I try to work on every part of my game and improve every area to hopefully make that big breakthrough to either crush the cash games or poker tournaments I play in. An important aspect of poker that is fun, but very difficult to do well, is bluffing. I have read many poker strategy articles and from my own experience these are some of the things to learn about in relation to bluffing.
Pick Spots Wisely
During a hand you may feel there is an opening to win the pot there and then. For example, during a Texas Hold ‘em hand your opponent may stop betting and after checking to you on the turn after the action went check-check on the flop you may consider betting with a weak hand. If your opponent is not a trappy player, you may win the hand at this point with a solid bet.
Note that in this case you have spotted an opportunity and made the bluff bet because of it. You have not simply bet randomly. Pick your spots wisely. Against a player that will usually showdown bottom pair, this is not the right time to make a pot sized bet with Ace high. Against a fish, bluffs have less value; the thing to do against fish is have a good hand because they will play with you. Bluff better players as a general rule, because they can fold!
Be Consistently Inconsistent
Deception is a massive part of poker. You want to make opponents as unsure as you possibly can over your motives when you bet, raise or check. Each action, in an ideal world, should be able to be interpreted in many different ways. Frankly this is all but impossible to do because you are either tight or loose generally, but try and be consistently different in how you play your hands in terms of strength. Bluffing on the flop, turn or river and betting when you have a good hand in a similar situation plants the seeds of doubt in the mind of your opponents. If they are uncertain and they have a marginal hand, it is very difficult to carry on in the hand.
Watch Tom Dwan play cash games, many of his opponents fold because they know he could be bluffing or betting a monster. He plays the same way whether strong or weak and this creates his deception. It is very effective and has made him millions of dollars.
Tell a Story
If the story developing through the hand does not fit your bluff it is likely to be called. In the following example this is explained more clearly.
You raise 3 x the big blind in late position holding 7c-7d as the first player into the hand and are called by one player in the blinds. The flop is, Kh-As-8s. The player bets half the pot and you call. The turn is a 2c. He bets half the pot and you raise as a bluff steal. This is not a good time to attempt a steal.
Why? He/she has shown action on two streets. There are overcards to your pocket pair and by betting your opponent has said “I am interested in this hand”. The turn card was a total blank given the action and yet your opponent still bet. You flat called on the flop and raise the turn. This does not appear consistent with the betting. A two could not have helped your hand. Unless your opponent thinks you are slowplaying a huge monster they must call you. Always be mindful of what the bluff looks like. If it looks like a weak bluff or a lie given the action you might be in trouble.
Go to part 2 for the concluding part of this poker bluffing feature.
By Malcolm Clarke