A Poker Bluff
There are two types of poker bluffs – a Pure
Bluff and a Semi-Bluff. We will start out
discussing a pure bluff (I will just refer to it
as a - bluff) then I will move on to the
semi-bluff.
A bluff is a bet or a raise made with a hand
that has no chance of winning. The purpose of a
bluff is to win a pot when your hand is not
strong enough to do so on it’s own. You are
essentially representing a big hand when in
reality you have nothing. Bluffing is a very
valuable weapon to have in your poker arsenal
but you should make sure you use it correctly
and don’t over use it.
If you are like me and watch of lot of poker on
TV it seems as if bluffs are an almost constant
part of poker. Don’t let that fool you. Lots
of hands don’t make the final cut and since
poker bluffs make for good TV you’ll see an
awful lot of them.
I feel that bluffing in low limit poker games
are pretty much a waste of time. Low limit
poker is essentially a showdown game. There
also tends to be lots of poor players who will
call to the very end and they just might have
something to beat you with. I recommend not
bluffing in low limit games.
Bluffing can work well in higher limit games
especially against tight players. If the pot is
on the small side your bluff has a better chance
of working than if it were a large pot. A large
pot can give someone the correct pot odds to
stay in the game.
You also may have better success in short handed
games as there will usually not be a lot of
money in the pot and a player on a flush draw
may not want to continue because they are not
getting the right odds to do so.
You should also take your position at the table
into account when looking to bluff. For
example, if you are on the button and everyone
else at the table has folded, you might be able
to steal the blinds with a bluff. While this can
be an effective strategy, you should not try
this too often. If you keep raising all the time
on the button the players in the blinds will
eventually play back at you.
Some poker players use a bluff to show that they
actually do bluff. They then hope that the
other players call them later on in the game
when they are not bluffing. 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.
Semi-bluffing
Semi-bluffing is a profitable technique that is
used instead of a pure bluff.
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
have 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.
You can use a semi-bluff more than you can a
straight bluff as you do have a chance of
improving your hand. Just remember, you can only
do this when there are more cards to come.
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. |
