Poker is a game of deception. Yes, it surely is. You can not always have a strong hand. But, you can still win with a weak hand, using certain tricks to play. There is a technique, which is used the most in poker. It is poker bluffing.
It is basically a technique to make your opponent believe that you have a stronger hand than him. Even though you do not have it. But, it does not mean that you do it every time. Pro players use it quite often. But, you must learn first when is the best time to bluff. You must be able to understand the other player. And, make sure first that he or she will fold. Else, you can end up losing a bigger amount.
Below, we are going to discuss the details of poker bluffing.
Working of bluff in poker
The very first thing you want in poker bluffing is aggression. Without it, you neither can bluff nor you can win. But, this aggression must have a road to follow. There are certain points to look for before bluffing. The following are some of them:
- Check for all the dynamics on the table. Such as the size of bets, players’ attitudes, equity of all players, etc.
- Secondly, if the opponent knows you and your game pattern quite well as a player. You must avoid bluffing.
- If the number of players is more, then there are lesser chances of poker bluffing to work.
- Let’s say the bet is extremely low. Then, no one will mind calling the hand. Therefore, one should not bluff at such games.
- Keep looking for Poker Tells. Poker tells are some obvious habits one does while playing. For instance, some players scratch their ears while bluffing. So, you can easily find that. However, other players will look for the same in you too. So, strongly hide it.
There are many other factors to consider too. But, above are the most important things to keep a check on.
Strategies of bluffing
The poker bluffing strategies basically rely upon the range of bets. Usually, the players bluff to make a strong hand fold. That’s the main motive. But, you must know which hand is worth bluffing. Basically, we have two strategies depending on the range of bets.
- Polarised Range: This range includes extremely strong hands or the player has nothing at all. Also, if the bet size is huge you can easily bluff more.
- Linear Range: This range has all types of hands, it can be large, medium, or small. Bluffing is not consistent in such games. And, the large range in this is smaller than the polarised range.
Tips to follow Poker Bluffing
Though bluffing is not a technique to learn overnight. But, you can improve it by following the tips.
- Hand-reading: Hand-reading is a technique for understanding the player’s pattern of play. This will take a lot of practice. You must understand how the player is playing pre-flop. And, figure out when your poker bluffing can work best.
- Do not be obvious with bluffs: Let us say, your one the huge bluff. And, then you keep bluffing big every time. This will definitely not work. You must evaluate the game every single time again and again. So that, no one can guess the way you bluff.
- Do not always attack the weak signs: There are situations when the opponents check back the flop. Though, it is a sign of weak hands. But, it does not mean that you keep poker bluffing it with any of the two cards. You must understand that a bluff must have some cards in hand. You must have an average hand at least. Also, take into consideration that the opponent might be poker bluffing too.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, the technique of poker bluffing is quite effective. But, you must understand that you are not the only player who will do it. Therefore, caution is a must. Else, you end up falling in your own trap. Also, before bluffing, keep all the factors affecting it in consideration. And, try to follow all the tips too. Make sure, you are not bluffing continuously. As it will never work. The pro players will never let go of those signs easily. And, learn your pattern of play. And, you will be a predictable player on the table.
So, have fun playing poker with caution. I will be back with more of such effective and useful content.
Good Luck.
