The Right Bluff: Steps to a Successful Poker Bluff

A strong hand, of course, is what a player needs to win in a game of Poker. However, one is not necessarily a loser just because they have a bad hand. By learning the proper methods for a successful bluff, one can easily pull off a win by convincing their opponents of the strength of their hand, even if the truth is quite the contrary.

If the board hints to the possibility of someone having a strong hand, this is a good time to bluff. Case in point, if the board has three cards belonging to the same suit, it might be likely that one of the players has the fourth card, thus resulting in a flush. If one player bluffs about having that card, that player wins if the others buy into the bluff and decide to fold.

If it appears as though an opposing player is thinking of folding, one must take advantage of this by placing a big enough bet that would encourage the other player to fold.

It is always helpful to take note of the opponents' betting habits. For instance, a rookie player might have a tendency to bluff frequently, while a veteran player might be less predictable and bears closer examination.

Patience is very important. One should not bluff impulsively. There is much more information to be gleaned by first observing how the other players call, check or fold than by jumping the gun with a premature bluff.

One must take extra care when bluffing against amateur players. Being not quite versed in the conventions of poker, these kinds of players might be completely unaware of what the other player is doing and would stay in the game blissfully oblivious to the bluff being waved in front of them.

There is a much smaller probability of a bluff being called at a high limit table than at a low limit table. A bluff is more than likely to be called at the latter table.

It is practical to take advantage of the typical circumstances rife for bluffing, but one must be wary that the players with the stronger hands do not catch on and cause the bluff to backfire. To illustrate, assuming that it's the late position pre-flop and all but two other players have folded, it is not a good idea to bluff at this time as the other two might be liable to believe that the bluffer has a strong hand.

One should never bluff too much. There are only so many times that the other players will keep buying into a bluff without catching on to it sooner or later. But then again, if one is able to improve their hand after a successful bluff, they have an edge in getting the others to assume that they are still bluffing even though they are not.

It is wise to avoid betting in a pattern so as not to be too predictable to the other players. One should adopt a tactic that would keep the others from deducing one's next move.

Bluffing is not really an exact science, and one must spend a lot of time and effort in order to master it. But once one has become proficient enough, pretending to have a great hand can lead to some very real rewards.