The Art of the Bluff in Texas Hold'em Poker - Part 1 of 3
Reasons to Bluff
The best hand does not always win the pot. Often the player that acts as if they have the best hand is the one who rakes in the chips. When playing short-handed, the chances increase that no one has a good hand. Normally, to get a bluff to work, you need to fire more than one bet at the pot, establishing that you have a strong hand. If you raise pre-flop and miss on the flop, the other players do not know it. It is possible to fool them with a bluff here, since they are likely to assume you have a high pair or hit the straight or flush draw. If you are in a late position and everyone checked to you, it is smart to bet strong.
This move may force some players out of the hand. This is true if the board holds a couple of high cards, a straight draw or a flush draw. Unfortunately, since some players may stay, you must continue the bluff to make it work.
Most high quality players stick to the rule and throw away a hand as soon as they know it cannot win. By bluffing, you increase the chances they might throw away a missed flush/straight or low pair. You can also steal the pot by bluffing on the river card. When a middle or low pair appears on the flop, other players might be waiting for a high card and not want to waste their chips against a possible set. In this instance, a strong bet may cause the other players to think you made the set. Betting strong when an Ace is on the board is a prime bluff opportunity, but it could also come back to haunt you, since, statistically, an Ace appears as a hole card 22% of the time.
When there are fewer players in a pot, it is easier to bluff: It is easier to trick a couple of people than to trick a crowd. With fewer hands out there, chances are better that no one has made a reasonable hand. Some players, especially low quality ones, stay in the hand just to keep you honest. Sometimes it needs to be a persistent bluff over a period of two or three betting rounds. This can be costly if they do not fall for it, so you need to know the opponents before you use this type of bluff.
Tight-passive opponents tend to fold easily and are the best targets for a bluff. Bets put out just as a form of information gathering on this player's hand can turn into a bluff. If you bluff early (pre-flop or flop) against a very tight player and they do not fold, you should think about folding and trying it again on a future round. Your job, in this situation, is to determine whether they have a made hand or are drawing to one.
When the river card falls and it is apparent that the players with drawing hands did not hit, a bluff often works. It is on the river that even weak players are more likely to follow the age-old advice that the moment you know you cannot win, throw in your cards.
If the betting patterns show weakness, it is often profitable to bet strongly when holding a strong Ace or a low pair. Often, you will find some players staying in the hand with a busted draw because of their pot odds, while others feel pot committed in this situation. Just be aware that bluffing with a weak Ace here can be troublesome, because your opponent may have a better kicker or a slightly higher pair they felt was a loser, but that can beat the river bluff.
One bluff that weak players often use far too frequently, especially in freerolls or in the initial stages of a multiple re-buy tournament, is the All-in bluff. With marginal hands at best, they try to steal blinds early in the seating. When they hold a poor hand, they are hoping for a miracle hit to double or triple up.
Sometimes these players continue this pattern of all-in until they have a sizable chip lead or until someone stops them. Do not let this type of player frustrate you. It is easiest (and most profitable) to wait until you have a huge hand, call their all-in and then punish them.
Unlike the All-in bluff, and most other bluffs, the Post Oak Bluff differs in that it does not involve a large number of chips. For this, you make a small bet, representing the value bet of a strong hand, rather than the scared bet of a weak one. This is especially effective if you have been making the value bet a common part of your winning hands.
Reasons to Bluff
The best hand does not always win the pot. Often the player that acts as if they have the best hand is the one who rakes in the chips. When playing short-handed, the chances increase that no one has a good hand. Normally, to get a bluff to work, you need to fire more than one bet at the pot, establishing that you have a strong hand. If you raise pre-flop and miss on the flop, the other players do not know it. It is possible to fool them with a bluff here, since they are likely to assume you have a high pair or hit the straight or flush draw. If you are in a late position and everyone checked to you, it is smart to bet strong.
This move may force some players out of the hand. This is true if the board holds a couple of high cards, a straight draw or a flush draw. Unfortunately, since some players may stay, you must continue the bluff to make it work.
Most high quality players stick to the rule and throw away a hand as soon as they know it cannot win. By bluffing, you increase the chances they might throw away a missed flush/straight or low pair. You can also steal the pot by bluffing on the river card. When a middle or low pair appears on the flop, other players might be waiting for a high card and not want to waste their chips against a possible set. In this instance, a strong bet may cause the other players to think you made the set. Betting strong when an Ace is on the board is a prime bluff opportunity, but it could also come back to haunt you, since, statistically, an Ace appears as a hole card 22% of the time.
When there are fewer players in a pot, it is easier to bluff: It is easier to trick a couple of people than to trick a crowd. With fewer hands out there, chances are better that no one has made a reasonable hand. Some players, especially low quality ones, stay in the hand just to keep you honest. Sometimes it needs to be a persistent bluff over a period of two or three betting rounds. This can be costly if they do not fall for it, so you need to know the opponents before you use this type of bluff.
Tight-passive opponents tend to fold easily and are the best targets for a bluff. Bets put out just as a form of information gathering on this player's hand can turn into a bluff. If you bluff early (pre-flop or flop) against a very tight player and they do not fold, you should think about folding and trying it again on a future round. Your job, in this situation, is to determine whether they have a made hand or are drawing to one.
When the river card falls and it is apparent that the players with drawing hands did not hit, a bluff often works. It is on the river that even weak players are more likely to follow the age-old advice that the moment you know you cannot win, throw in your cards.
If the betting patterns show weakness, it is often profitable to bet strongly when holding a strong Ace or a low pair. Often, you will find some players staying in the hand with a busted draw because of their pot odds, while others feel pot committed in this situation. Just be aware that bluffing with a weak Ace here can be troublesome, because your opponent may have a better kicker or a slightly higher pair they felt was a loser, but that can beat the river bluff.
One bluff that weak players often use far too frequently, especially in freerolls or in the initial stages of a multiple re-buy tournament, is the All-in bluff. With marginal hands at best, they try to steal blinds early in the seating. When they hold a poor hand, they are hoping for a miracle hit to double or triple up.
Sometimes these players continue this pattern of all-in until they have a sizable chip lead or until someone stops them. Do not let this type of player frustrate you. It is easiest (and most profitable) to wait until you have a huge hand, call their all-in and then punish them.
Unlike the All-in bluff, and most other bluffs, the Post Oak Bluff differs in that it does not involve a large number of chips. For this, you make a small bet, representing the value bet of a strong hand, rather than the scared bet of a weak one. This is especially effective if you have been making the value bet a common part of your winning hands.
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