Poker Forum - The Art Of The Bluff

Hollywood has a way of trivializing things and poker is no exception. But if you base your game from things you see on TV and in the movies, you could be in for a surprise.

An Oreo licking John Malkovich bluffed in the movie Rounders and a wise cracking Mel Gibson did likewise in the film Maverick. They made it seem easy and looked cool while doing it.

Real life poker players should be so lucky to win using those tactics at a casino or a house game. The fact is bluffing is an art that should only be used in certain situations.

Nevertheless, bluffing is an aspect of poker that someone must become well versed at to become a complete player.

Predictability can be an Achilles Heel of a poker player. If you never bluff and bet only when you have a great hand, more seasoned players will eventually be able to read you like a book and the potential amount of winnings decreases significantly.

If you bluff too much, without control, and go in when you should fold, it will be the bankroll that decreases significantly. Aggressiveness can be of benefit, too much can be a hindrance. The key is to get a feel for the game and know when to bluff.

One of the most important aspects of bluffing has nothing to do with hand or bankroll, but where you are sitting relative to the dealer. If you are sitting closer to the dealer’s left, you are not sitting in prime bluff territory. If you are sitting closer to the right of the dealer, you are.

People sitting closer to the dealer’s left are the first people to get cards from the dealer and the first to bet, so they don’t have time to see what transpires—they are on the front lines. Players who are closer to the dealer’s right are the last to get cards and bet, so they have time to see what goes down. Are players betting heavily? Are they checking? These are things that people to the right of the dealer have time to see.

So if you are playing Hold ‘em, at the dealer’s right, and notice that everyone is checking after the flop, you can bluff by betting and potentially scare off players.

If you are among the first to receive cards, and you bet big right away, people might be scared off and the pot will be a lot less and if someone calls your bet you can be sure that they have a good hand. What do you do next? Call it or fold? It’s a tough decision

Bluffing doesn’t lend itself to just any game of poker either. Bluffing at Low Limit Hold ‘em is a waste. It rarely works. Most of the time the big bets are small relative to the pot, it doesn’t make sense for the opponents to fold. Bluffing is probably most ideal in No Limit Hold ‘em and NL tournaments. It is the key to succeeding in these games.

Here are some bluffing tips:

Bluffing at the right situation against some opponents can be very advantageous. Bluff on a later street often proves too late. The key is to bluff BEFORE anyone catches a hand.

You have to know the right players to bluff, or else you are wasting money. Don't bluff a Calling Station once you identify them. Be aggressive at the right time with a strong hand, but not overly aggressive, since these people will not be scared away most of the time.

Bluffing is a part of being aggressive. Being aggressive can be advantageous because it:
- establishes a table image
- it can change the tempo of the whole table.
- gathers more information from your opponents than the other way around

Remember raising is lot easier than calling a raise.

Identify a situation where a bluff is profitable. For example, early in a SNG tournament, a lot of the time the blinds are too small to even think about stealing. Wait until a good situation to bluff.

You don’t learn to bluff overnight. It takes time and it takes patience to learn it and to know when to employ it in a game. If you do become well versed maybe you can lick some Oreo cookies and make wisecracks.