There are a lot of poker players here at Juicy Stakes Poker. There are players who bluff frequently. There are some online poker players who simply don’t want to bluff at all. But even tight players have to bluff! And, if you are leery of bluffing yourself, you have to be aware that your opponents are trying to bluff you. So, it pays to know a few things about bluffing.
The Physical Factor is Non-existent in Online Bluffing
At a land-based poker room, you have to be able to remain the same whether you are bluffing or not. The same goes for when you clearly have the best hand.
A Classic Bluff
There is a YouTube clip of Tom Dwan who knew that he had the inferior hand against a top poker player but decided to bluff. His opponent took a long time deciding what to do and finally folded. One of the ways Dwan was able to fool the experienced pro that he in fact had a good hand was that his physical expression didn’t change at all.
Dwan said later that he focused on a single item in the near distance.
What Tom Dwan did in that hand is very hard to do. But none of these physical tells are present in online poker.
Bluffing is a Necessary Risk
Whenever you place a bet, you are taking a risk. We all take risks in everyday life and don’t give them a second thought. But for some poker players, the risk of trying to bluff is a mental, emotional, and psychological burden.
So, we would like to do our best to put your mind to rest and show you the benefits of occasional bluffing.
Look at Bluffing as a Value Bet
A value bet is a bet you make when you are very sure, maybe not 100% but very sure, that you have the winning hand and you want opponents to call. So, you make a bet that you hope won’t scare them away.
A bluff is a kind of value bet in reverse. You are quite sure that your opponent has the better hand but he or she probably doesn’t know it. A judicious bluff might send them the signal that you are winning the hand and they will fold.
This often happens when you can telegraph a pair or set with the high card on the table. The kind of player who is afraid of making a valuer bet will also be afraid of bluffing.
Embrace Bluffing Even if it is Counter to Your Personality
This is the message we would like to telegraph. A good poker player may at one time been leery of bluffing but with practice and keen attention to detail, you can learn to bluff at the right moments and grab pots you had no business winning.
Courage is Inborn in Some and a Learned Trait in Others
You can develop the courage to bluff. It’s really as simple as that! Developing the courage to bluff means deciding when it is appropriate to do so. Now, having decided that your opponent will likely fold if you bet, you have to become somewhat dispassionate. You need to be able to place the bet without showing any emotion.
Online Poker Players Can Hide Their Emotions
This is true most of the time. But if you take too long to bet, or if you suddenly stop chatting, or if you make a bet that is out of character, or if you bet in a situation where your opponents have not seen you bet in yet, you will probably telegraph a bluff.
Even online, poker players have to be aware of any show of emotion that is out of place.
Bluffing is a Financial Risk
Playing poker at all involves financial risk. If you can afford to play, you then need to decide how much risk you can take to bluff an opponent.
Always keep in mind that it is hard to bluff at low stakes. So, if you are playing at low stakes, you probably won’t bluff a lot. Your opponents might also not bluff a lot. It isn’t that players at low stakes fear losing the money if their bluff is called. The problem at low stakes is that the stakes are so low that most bluffs are ignored.
It is always easier to bluff when you play with money you can afford to lose. On the other hand, at such low stakes, the other players will be in the same position.
Never Bluff Callers
There are players who never fold once they have called before the flop. These players cannot be bluffed. You will win a large number of hands without bluffing simply because these players cannot fold even poor hands.
It is still better to fold in early position on most hands. Limping in is not considered a bluff. A bluff would involve a substantial raise of the big blind.
What Other Tips Can You Give to New Players on the Subject of Bluffing?
- Bluffing is a form of communication. In poker, any action is a form of communication. A simple bet is not the same as a bluff. At all times when you are playing poker think about what do you want to communicate.
- When you use chat, continue to use it during a bluff. If you go quiet players will know that you are bluffing.
- Understand how opponents see you as a player and as a person.
- Always try to develop a profile for an opponent.
- If you have bet before the flop as a developing bluff, you should make a c-bet after the flop.
- Never bluff just to bluff. A bluff is a major part of poker strategy and there should be clear thought behind any bluff.
- Be careful and aggressive at the same time.
How Can I be Aggressive and Careful at the Same Time?
This is really the key to success in any competition. This applies to games, business, politics, sports, and all other areas where there is competition. A person needs to be as careful as possible and as aggressive as their carefulness allows.
So, in poker, a player has to define how careful they want to be. Then, be as aggressive as you can be. Bluffing overlaps the areas of carefulness and aggressiveness.
Juicy Stakes Poker Offers Great Online Poker
We offer straight up poker at many different stakes levels. We run tournaments for players who love the game of poker and are not aggressively looking for big wins. Juicy Stakes has many thousands of players who play often.
