The feeling of knowing you have got one over on a poker opponent is a large part of the joy of why many players play Texas Hold’em poker. Bluffing is the art, and it is an art, of presenting your opponent with a story in the hand that you have a hand that is stronger than what you actually hold, when what you actually hold is very weak. Before you make that big re-raise with nothing, look below at the two main types of bluff that you can use.
The Stone Cold Bluff
This is the classic bluff. Your hand must be very weak and you make a strong bet to try and take the pot down straight away by causing an instant fold from your opponent. The worst case scenario is to be raised or re-raised by your opponent as you will have to fold. Do not fold immediately, put on a little act before you fold. This suggests to your opponent that the fold was marginal and they may feel a bit uneasy. This is good because in the same situation again they will remember you going into the tank and may decide to fold and spare their sweating your decision.
You must tell a convincing story with your bluffing. If you have played passively throughout the hand then make a solid bet from nowhere that may not fit with the hands your opponent believe you could reasonably be holding. This will result in you being called which is exactly what you need to avoid when trying a stone cold bluff.
Timing a stone cold bluff is critical because you do not even have a draw to back up your bet. A stone cold bluff is a bet with nothing and to be successful you need it to be winning the pot outright more often than not.
The Semi-Bluff
This is a bluff that is used after the flop that is used to deceive opponents into giving up the pot early in the hand but you have the insurance of a strong draw to what is likely to be the winning hand even if you are called. Most bluffs by professionals have an element of semi-bluff to them, where they will usually hold overcards to the board or a draw.
You will see semi-bluffs in cash games regularly if you watch things like the Million Dollar Cash Game or High Stakes Poker. Say a player holds Ah-Kh suited and the flop comes down Jc-6h-2h. This is a fairly safe board but your opponent bets into you. Something like QJ, JT or a medium pocket pair is a strong possibility here. You decide to raise. Why? If you opponent does not have the jack you may get a fold with them believing you had AJ or Queens. If you are called and your semi-bluff does not work you have the nut flush draw and any further heart you can be sure you have the best hand. Some of the biggest pots you see won in cash games are when the semi-bluff is called and then the draw hits.
If you do get called and your semi-bluff hits on the turn, be wary if this pairs the board as your opponent could have a draw to a full house which would beat you. This would be unlucky, but would cost you a big pot due to the raising that occurred earlier in the hand inflating the bet sizes for the rest of the hand.
Practise your bluffing at bwin.com but remember not to overdo it. Opponents, even new players, know you cannot always have a hand if you are constantly pounding the pot. Discretion is a good tool in Poker; bluffs are most effective when timed correctly.
By Malcolm Clarke