Common Poker Mistakes: Bluffing

As a beginner learns the game, one of their early mistakes is often the over use of the bluff. In this series of articles we will be focusing on Texas Holdem, although much of the information could equally be applied to other poker variations.

Most beginners believe, having watched some poker on TV, that bluffing is an essential part of the game. They believe that sometimes the only way to win is with a bluff. Of course, they would be correct in this belief. However, the bluff is frequently over-rated in low stakes poker for the simple reason that it is not that expensive for an opponent to call, 'to keep them honest.' It is for this reason that caution should be used when bluffing. Many beginners will play a hand cautiously and then suddenly bet on the river to try and buy the pot, and such a bluff will almost always be called.

The reason good players get away with bluffs is that they are more sophisticated in setting up a bluff. They may have raised before the flop and again on the flop and again on the turn. If the turn brings a third diamond, for example, then it might be considered that the player holds two diamonds and they were looking to make a flush. Now that they have made their flush they are raising. Of course they might have a 7 2 off suit and no diamonds, but a bluff like this is going to be more successful because it is consistent. All the information the other players can see leads them to believe that the player has a good hand. If you’re going to bluff you need to make the story seem convincing, make it seem like you have a good drawing hand and you made your draw, or represent strength from the beginning. Either way a sudden stab at winning the pot, especially in low limit poker is unlikely to have the effect you are looking for.

If you are going to bluff do it for the right reasons. Do it to create the image of a loose player (i.e. get caught bluffing a few times). Do it in a way that is believable. But most tables are not going to let you get away with a buy attempt at the pot near the end of a hand when none of your actions up to that point are consistent with you having a good hand.

In February 2004 I got my first royal flush online. I was playing online Omaha H/L on PokerStars.com. I held Ace and Jack among my four hole cards and the flop was K Q 10 of hearts. I decided to slow play the hand because the other players were showing weakness. On the river I went all in and the other player called. He had a very weak pair, but my slow play led him to believe I was just trying to buy the pot.

In no limit games you can make some pretty big bluffs that put your opponent to a serious decision regarding some or often all of their chips. But you can still expect to get called if your play does not seem consistent.

Bluffing like many other tools that good poker player’s use has a time and a place, and is certainly an important part of the game. But learn to use it sparingly and for the right reasons in order for it to be a useful tool. Remember that the lower the limits and the smaller the bet, the less likely it is to pull off a bluff.