A Poker Bluff

A bluff is a bet or a raise when you have little chance of winning the hand if you are called.

A semi-bluff is a bet or a raise that when you bet or raise and if you are called you most likely do not have the best hand but you have the possibility of improving to the best hand.

There are several factors that you should be aware of before you decide to bluff.

A bluff is typically successful against only one or two opponents and on rare occasions three.  Personally, I would not look to bluff more than two opponents.

The larger the pot the more difficult it will be to bluff.  Since the other players are getting good pot odds they are more likely to call.

If the players at the table think that you are a loose player, meaning that you play a lot of hands and bluff a lot, you will most unlikely be unsuccessful at bluffing your opponents.

If you are the type of player that plays a limited number of hands and only bets with the best hands than you have a good chance of being successful with a bluff.

You will find it easier to bluff very good players because they are more likely to fold marginal hands if they think you have a good hand.  Bad players tend to call a lot of hands so it is likely that you won’t be successful with a bluff against them.

You will find that a bluff on the flop can be successful in a tight game.  If the flop didn't help any of the other players they not only have to call you on the flop but also on the turn and river.  This can be an expensive proposition for your opponent.

A bluff on the river is harder to pull off because your opponent only has to call one bet and it is likely that they have some kind of hand to make it that far.

Pay attention to the flop before you decide to bluff.  If there are high cards on the board or connecting/near connecting cards, an opponent may have made a high pair as many opponents play with high cards.  Also, an opponent may also now be on a straight draw.

Semi-bluff

A semi-bluff is a bet or a raise that when you bet or raise and if you are called you most likely do not have the best hand but you have the possibility of improving to the best hand. You would use a semi-bluff when your hand is not strong enough to win but might be if you are able to improve it.

By betting, you are looking for the other players to fold so that you will win the pot right then and there.  However, if a player at the table calls your bet you still have a chance to improve your hand and win.

A perfect situation for a semi-bluff is when you are on a flush or straight draw. By betting or raising you may end up winning the pot.

For Example, your hole cards are a King of Clubs and an Eight of Clubs.

Then the flop comes down as a Jack of Clubs, Eight of Hearts, and a Five of Clubs.

If you bet and no one else has a Jack they may figure you for a pair of Jacks and fold. If you are called, your pair of Eights can be beaten by anyone holding a Jack.

However, you have many ways of improving your hand. There are nine clubs that will give you a flush. There are three Kings that will give you two pairs.  There are two Eights that can make you trips or quads.  You even have the possibility of a full house if you were to catch another King and Eight on the turn and river.

When to Bluff or Semi-Bluff

A bluff or semi-bluff is the type of strategy that does not work very well in a low limit game.  Especially if the game is loose.  More than likely an opponent will call your bluff.  You will find that a low limit game is essentially a showdown game.  You will win money in a low limit game by playing good solid hands and not from bluffs. 

However, bluffs tend to work much better in a higher limit game where the play is usually much tighter. Bluffs work especially well in a tight high limit game where your table image is that of a tight or very tight player.  When you bet your opponents will expect you to have a good hand and will usually end up folding their marginal hands.

Bluffing in a short handed game can be a very effective strategy.  In a shorthanded game there is usually not a lot of money in the pot.  If you are up against an opponent who is on a flush draw there is a good chance that they may not want to continue drawing if they are not getting the proper pot odds to continue.

Another good situation for a bluff is when you are seated on the button and all of the other players up to you have folded their hands.  You might be able to steal the blinds with a bluff. This is an effective strategy as long as it is not overused. If you keep raising all the time on the button the players in the blinds will eventually catch on and play back at you.

Many players use a bluff to help keep their opponents off balance.  They will show that they bluff hoping that their opponents will call them later on in the game when they are not bluffing but instead have a strong hand.  Using a bluff in this way can be expensive and you should be careful not to overuse this strategy.

For your bluff to work it must be believable.

There are also some important points to be aware of when playing online poker.  Online, players tend to bluff more often than a live game.  Players also tend to call your bluff more often in online poker games.  In a situation where you might want to show opponents that you bluff, online they may not really notice.  Many players do not pay close attention to other players, the action moves faster and it can be difficult to keep track of what others are doing.  Also, players move in and out of the games so quickly you may not be up against players that even saw an earlier bluff.  One exception where you may be able to use bluffs effectively online are in sit n go or multi-table tournaments where you are playing against the same players.

Bluffing is an important part of your poker arsenal. But it is a tool that you should use carefully.  Overusing it will reduce its effectiveness.