I wonder what you all think about bluffing,do you do that alot or only when you are need too?
Many thinks i bluff alot but i actually dont do that,but what is a bluff in your eys? is when you raise with nothing or is it when you have something like pair of Eights but its a A on the board! I am just querious about what evryone think about bluffs and why peopel get angry that you dont show the cards,i never show cards,why should I
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First, I agree with your policy of not showing cards and auto muck my hands, although I think if I call you down and win the hand, auto muck should be overridden as I have paid to see your cards. That is the rule in real poker. It should be here.
As for bluffing, I would define it as betting or raising when you pretty much know you don’t have the best hand. I bluff situationally and it tends to work for me because I’ve established myself as someone who only stays in hands when they’ve got the goods.
Of course, you’ll come across donkeys who raise preflop on every hand. You know they’re habitual bluffers as they can’t possibly have strong hands all the time. Annoyingly, I often get coolered or run down when I come back at them with a top hand (AA,KK,QQ,AK). It pisses me off, but I’m not going to say they shouldn’t play that way because I also win my biggest pots against them.
In the example you gave, pocket eights against a board with an ace, it’s a difficult decision whether to bet. What has the action to this point told you?
If you’re one v one, and you either limped or had a standard raise called, it’s a one-in-three chance that your opponent has hit any card on the flop, let alone the ace. What are the other cards?
If it’s anything between A-K-Q and A-10-9, you’re almost certainly behind, but the opponent might only have second or third pair. You might pull off a bluff if that’s the case.
If it’s an ace with two numbered cards, especially when one or both can’t beat an eight if they are paired, I think you should bet. although it wouldn’t be a bluff by my definition. Even if they have hit second pair, you very well might have the best hand and do if they caught third pair, so this would be a value bet rather than a bluff. Same thing if the other two cards are paired, such as A-6-6, where you’re testing the water to see if they have caught either the ace or trips.
Of course, if your 8-8 value bet is called or raised, it becomes more likely, although not necessarily a lock, that you’re eights aren’t good, and you might want to slow down or even hit the brakes.
Going all the way back, if three or more players remain involved, it becomes increasingly likely with each additional player that the ace has been paired. Also, if you made an oversized preflop bet that was called, or have called a reraise, it’s more likely your single opponent has an ace or a bigger pair than you, and trying to bluff a monster is suicide. I would be more cautious about investing further in those pots, either making a third or quarter-pot value bet, or simply checking and allowing the opportunity for someone to bully me, depending on how respecitvely loose or tight they have been playing.
Thanks for the question. I enjoyed thinking that out.
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Ty Pickettpocket! well written!!
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I think it’s always situational and you have to know how far to take it.
I was going to add some examples but decided not to because there are a lot of things to consider when deciding to bluff. And if you don’t know when to stop, you’ve just cost yourself a lot of chips because you have to remember people also like to trap etc.
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Bluffing in general - it is a must. You have to have some bluffs in your game. You just have to be careful picking your spots - very careful here, especially at lower stakes, as so many players just do not have a fold button.
1 ~ Look for busted draws. Many weak players will call anything until their draw busts. if you bet that river they will often fold.
2 ~ Aggression on previous streets is the best way to set up a bluff. If you are PRF and have led the flop and turn, you will have a FAR easier time getting folds on the river than if you just stab after checking around.
3 ~ it’s much easier to bluff in position.
Those are some real basics that I have learned.
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Most of the time when I bluff, I at least have an alright chance at winning. I usually start bluffing to get myself out of tough spots. Sometimes you have no chance at winning a tournament unless you make some key bluffs. About showing cards, I’ve never gotten angry at somebody for not showing their cards but in general I always respected people that show their cards. Usually they are pretty decent at the game.
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Bluffing is one of my favorite parts of the game. Making your opponents fold the better hand is simply a great feeling. You just have to be careful to balance it with value and take lines that make sense.
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Let’s say that we are in a tournament and after 200 hands we make it to the final table, and to keep this simple, let’s say that we’ve been able to get here with no real ICM situations, so 200 hands of normal reasonably deep poker. We would have won 15-25 hands by this point, let’s say 20. Of those 20 pots that we won, 4 or 5 minimum will have to be bluffs. There is just no way that we will be so lucky to always have it that often.
So we must have some bluffs in our game if we want to run deep.
So true!
Bluffing in poker is an art, an essential tool that, when used well, can be the difference between winning and losing. In my opinion, bluffing isn’t just raising with nothing in your hand; it’s a psychological strategy to control the table and keep your opponents guessing. A pure bluff, such as a full-air raise, is risky but powerful if you read your opponents and the context well. However, a semi-bluff, such as betting with a pair of eights when there’s an ace on the board, is just as valid: you have something, but you’re projecting greater force to pressure.
Bluffing shouldn’t be a constant habit, but rather a calculated play. Doing it only “when necessary” depends on the situation: the table dynamics, the players’ style, your image, and the size of the pot. If you bluff too much, you become predictable; if you don’t, your big bets lose impact because everyone knows you have something solid. The key is balance and varying your play so no one can figure you out.
About not showing your cards, I’m all for holding them. Showing them, especially after a successful bluff, gives away free information. Why give your opponents clues about how you play? It leaves them guessing; it frustrates them and throws them off their game, which is to your advantage. People get angry because they want to confirm their suspicions, but poker is a game of uncertainty. Maintaining the mystery is part of the strategy 
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Well Written!!
The main thing most players don’t understand about bluffing is that our bluff range supports our value range. Yes, you need bluffs to increase your win frequency as otherwise it’s hard to have the goods often enough. But more important are the implications of not bluffing.
If a player who does not bluff often enough places a large bet, we should just fold every time. They have made our job easy! By significantly underbluffing, they allow us to significantly overfold as a profitable exploit.
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Isolation often equates to opportunity in my game. There are always opportunies to bluff. Heads up every other deal can be bluffed. Situational bluffs work too. A small stack can bluff a big stack that is protecting their BR in tournaments. Etc…
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Bluffing takes practice and can be dangerous but there are times I feel it necessary. As for mucking, I prefer the option to muck or show, it can help to further confuse opponents.
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What I’m finding is within the last few years it’s getting very difficult to be able to push players off their hands on Replay. When I started it was a lot easier, nowadays many of them will go to the River which makes bluffing dangerous to one’s stack.
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Lisa: Poor, predictable Bart. Always takes rock.
Bart: Good ol’ rock. Nothin’ beats that.
Bart: Rock.
Lisa: Paper.
Bart: D’oh!
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Unless they’re the type who believes theirs is the only way to play, I don’t think it confuses opponents. It’s more about manipulating emotions. Some loose players will show when they’ve bluffed you with rags to annoy you and induce a call when they overbet with the nuts, and a few tighter players will show you they had the nuts so you’ll fold when they bluff. The important thing to remember is they wanted you to see it and not to allow them to dictate your actions.
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doesn’t make much of the game, and leads to more Ls honestly though good for some tight breaks when there’s pair or more on the river.
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Hi, very good question. Bluffing is a part of the game. No Bluff, no Poker. But, the most important thing is how much do you believe in your cards. Indeed, the most disturbing case are people who go All In every hand. For the rest, you will find always your answer. Enjoy the ride my friends.
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Bluffing is pretty awesome. It’s a genuine adrenaline rush when the stakes are high. It’s important to be a good bluffer, so you may leverage your play – In casinos or on Replay!
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