Bluffing In Poker There is no better feeling in a game of poker than stealing a pot with a good bluff. After all, it is being rewarded for being a good actor, a good player, or even a good liar. As you may already know, it can be very difficult to do. Therefore you must have the respect of your opponents before you can start your bluffing game. Think about it? If someone sits across the table from you and has just started playing or has been playing weak cards and bluffing, are you going to fold when you have something halfway decent? Probably not and especially not if there are pot odds-enough money to warrant staying in on a weaker hand or to catch a hand. However, if the person across from you has been playing tight, raising only when he had the hand, and playing only good cards, you will always fear a bet or call from him or her. This is why we strongly recommend building respect first, and then trying some well timed bluffs. Over time, this strategy will prove to be the most profitable. Main reasons to bluff or raise playing Poker 1. To scare someone out of the poker hand 2. To build the pot when you have a good poker hand 3. To make others believe you have a better hand than you do 4. To see what your opponents might have 5. To promote a loose style then play tight 6. To get free cards. When is a good time to bluff? 1. When everyone has just called pre flop, most have checked after the flop, or checked after the turn card. this might buy you the hand or at least confirm where they other players are with their hands 2. Pre flop, when you want everyone to believe you have a good poker hand. You raise, maybe get a caller or two, and then bet after the flop. Unless someone is on a draw or slow playing you, they will usually fold. 3. When there are pot odds. Sometimes you may be heads up (just the two of you left) at the end with a tight player. In this case, if there are pot odds a bet or raise may get your weaker playing opponent to fold. 4. After the turn or river card, you can check and then raise if someone else bets. This will usually get everyone in between you and one other player out. If the player who bet had a weak hand, missed a draw and bluffed, or was flat out bluffing, they will usually fold.
However, if they raise you, you should fold. 5. If you’re in late position, a raise after the flop can get you free cards. This works really well if you’re on an open ended straight draw or a flush draw. 6. If you’re on the button or just before the button, you can sometimes steal the blind money with a raise. This is good to do when you have a top 25 hand or better. Make sure to follow up with a bet after the flop Advanced Poker Strategy One of the most important things you can do considering poker strategy in Holdem and No Limit Holdem is gain respect. You can do this by starting out playing very tight or only the top 15 hands. When you are in the pot until the end, show your great starting cards whether you won or lost. This will let the other players know that you only play good cards. By gaining respect of the other poker players, you will open up an opportunity to steal some pots later through some good bluffing. As the game goes on, people will believe that you must have good cards and will look for reasons to fold against you. Especially if you have a good sized stack and haven’t lost too many pots you’ve played. Therefore, do whatever you can to gain respect as it will win you pots Enjoy Poker More Poker articles.