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05 March 2006
The Bluffer's Guide To
Bluffing
If
there's one thing even non-players who've never been to an
online
casino or
land-based
casino know
about poker, it's that you can win big with a handful of
nothing by bluffing. Or can you?
Poker
may not be quite unique, but it's pretty close to it - in
how many other games would you risk your money knowing your
opponents can lie through their teeth and will be applauded
for it if they succeed?
For many non-players, the
bluff is what poker is all about. They love the idea that a
steady hand and a steely glare across the table could parlay
a hand scraped from the bottom of the barrel into a
winner.
Then they start playing,
and find it's not as easy as that.
Like most other aspects of
poker play, bluffing requires skill and judgement and, if
done badly, carries the risk of developing into a
recognisable habit that other players can use to their
advantage.
So when and how should it
be done? And if it's that risky, is there any point in doing
it at all?
The short answer is do it,
but do it in moderation. Players who never bluff - and there
are quite a few of them around - are almost guaranteed never
to win a big pot. Players who always bluff will lose so
often that any winnings will be swallowed up.
Refusing to bluff may seem
a decent and honourable course of action, demonstrating your
trustworthiness as a player. Sadly, what it also does is
demonstrate your predictability. If your opponents know
you'll never raise unless you believe you can win, they'll
all fold the moment you push those extra chips forward.
You'll win the hand, but there will hardly be money at stake
when you do.
The opposite mistake is
far more common. Many inexperienced players bluff with wild
abandon in an attempt to scare off other players and "buy"
the pot. It's an approach that very quickly runs out of
steam. If you earn a reputation as a habitual bluffer you'll
find your opponents will always call you. You'll do nicely
indeed on the odd occasions you aren't actually bluffing,
but you'll lose so much by having each bluff exposed that
you'll end up with empty pockets.
The trick, then, is to
bluff rarely, bluff wisely, and bluff unpredictably. If you
can manage this then you'll win a few pots with the bluffing
and, just as importantly, your opponents will stay in when
you start betting hard on a genuine good hand.
There are circumstances
when bluffing is never a good idea. When many opponents are
staying in, the chances are that at least one of them has a
genuinely good hand - so save the bluff for when you have
only a couple of rivals. If you're in a low-limit game it
costs very little for your opponents to call your bluff, so
you're unlikely to scare them off. And if you just got
caught bluffing you won't fool anyone by trying again at
once (but if you get dealt a genuinely strong hand
immediately after coming a cropper, you could be onto
something good by playing it exactly the same
way).
Conversely, some points in
a game are made for bluffing - although, since your
opponents will also recognise those moments, you may be
doomed before you start if you try. However, it can be worth
a go if you're in a late position and everyone before you
checked, as some of those players will probably fold in
response. A poor flop might be another time to have a try -
the chances of someone else having a naturally strong hand
hidden away are reduced.
Ultimately, though,
bluffing is about knowing your fellow players and what
stratagems will fool them. Do it often enough to establish
that you're prepared to, but not so often that you get a
reputation for it.
And, like all things in
poker, remember to enjoy the feeling on the odd occasions
that everything works the way you were hoping.
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