|
In general, bluffing is profitable when
your pot odds are better than the odds in case the other
players fold. So, the most important in successful bluffing
is to calculate the chances that your opponents will fold.
Bluffing rules:
- The more opponents, the less are your chances to
bluff successfully. Bluffs against more than three
opponents are, as a rule, of no use.
- It is easier to use bluffing against experienced
players, than maniac or week ones. That is because
strong players can fold hands of medium value, and
week players tend to call even when their hands are
week, so I is hard to get them fold.
- Betting for value is when you think you have the
best hand and you want to make the other people pay.
Seems like what you normally do right? It kind of is
but there is a difference. Sometimes the cards turn
out to be really scary but your opponent is so bad
that you still figure you have him beat still so you
go ahead and bet anyway just to make more money.
- The greater the pot - the harder to bluff. But,
on the other hand, success in bluffing with a large
pot can be more profitable.
- If you are known to bluff often, or were
"caught" bluffing recently, it will be hard for you
to bluff. Also, if your opponents are rather "tight"
players (bet and raise only with strong hands), it
is easier to bluff. "Loose" (often bluffing)
players, as a rule, won't give you such a
possibility.
- Don't sit down at the table without a game plan
of how you intend to play. Mind your level of
intoxication based on how seriously you take the
game. Study your opponents at every chance and
develop mental player profiles as you go. Finally,
know when to call, fold, or raise a bluff.
- If you can tell from the way your opponents bet
or raise how strong you? opponents' hands are, you
can derive from the calculation their chances to
fold as well. Remember, that you may not be the only
person bluffing!
- The bluff is an important part of the strategy
of any poker game, though it will come into play
more in some games than in others.
- In games with many betting rounds, bluff in
early rounds rather than late ones. Once other
players have put a lot of money into the pot, they
are less likely to give up. One good play in such
games is to "semi-bluff": betting a hand in an early
round that probably is not the best, but that might
become the best with a lucky future card. This play
can win when either the bluff or the draw is
successful.
- You can sometimes use your position to identify
good bluffing opportunities. E.g. a wildly used
bluffing opportunity it to bet in last position when
everyone has checked. Another bluffing opportunity
is to bet out from the blinds when all rags, cards
lower than a 9, or small pair flops.
- Bluffing is more difficult on the river than on
the earlier rounds of betting.
|
