Poker Article: Poker Bluffing

Bluffing is one of poker's key strategies. Its unique features add a significant dimension to the game of Poker. By being able to manipulate the game, by keeping your opponents on-guard, bluffing adds a psychological dimension, not found in any other game. Determination of whether your oponents are bluffing or not, main reasons to consider poker bluffing, and pitfalls to avoid when bluffing, all play a huge part in the game of poker.

There are some major reasons as to why your opponent is bluffing, and in no particular order, here are these reasons:

• Bluffing can sometimes be expected, if the Flop doesn't have any draws.

• There is a good chance a bluff is in progress, if an opponent boisterously claims to have an exceptional hand and acts on it with a bet.

• It is more reasonable to expect a bluff it there are only 2 players remaining in a hand, than if many are left in the nad. Typically, it is usually easier to deceive one person than many people.

• There is a decent chance that bluffing is occurring, if an opponent wagers after both the Flop and the Turn occurs, but if that person decides to check after the River card is revealed.

• Bluffing may be evident if an opponent bets aggressively after the Flop, but decides to check after the Turn card is revealed.

• An increased chance of bluffing can occur if the pot odds are in an favor of an opponent.

There are certain scenarios that make it advantageous to bluff. These types of situations lend themselves to times of bluffing:

• A good time to consider bluffing is if you wager on the pre-flop, and you have a less than desirable hand after the flop, since your opponents do not know that your post-flop hand is not all that good.

• Consider bluffing if the Flop is fairly poor.

• Tight players that tend to fold quickly, so it may be a good time to bluff, if you are dealing with those types of players.

• If there are only several players are left in a pot, as opposed to many, it may behoove you to bluff in that scenario.

• I fothers have folded by the time the wager comes to you, and you are on the button, this may provide a great opportunity to bluff.

• If you have a solid reputation as a poker player, you may frighten people by staying in a hand, which lends itself to bluffing.

• After all other players have checked late in the game, this may set you up for a nice bluff.

• If there is a low pair on the flop generally less than a pair of 7's), this may give you an ample time to bluff, since any of your opponents with low hole cards may have already folded.

Analogously, there are definitely times which are good times to avoid bluffing. Some of these are as follows:

• Generally speaking, you should avoid bluffing if many players are left in a hand. The odds of one or more players having a better hand than you are increased in this scenario.

• Contrary to what you might expect, avoid bluffing against inexperienced novices. As a whole, they enjoy the art of bluffing and greatly enjoy being able to dismantle a bluffer, whenever there is an opportunity to do so.

• If you have been caught on a bluff, consider taking a bluffing hiatus.

• If you have lost a tough hand that you expected to win, or have lost a string of hands, you should not bluff, and you may be susceptible to the impression that you are "trying to get it all back" in one hand, via bluffing.

• If the Flop has strength, do not consider bluffing. The odds in this situation are not in your favor.