04.08.08
So How/When Do I Bluff?
Stake out your opponent
What type of players are you playing with? Are you playing with sharks? Are you playing with rookies? Before you stick your hand in the cookie jar, it is a must that you find what the level of play is at your table.
Take mental notes on how each player is playing. Some players play with reckless abandon. They will call or raise you with just about anything. But some players, when faced with a raise will fold with just about anything short of the nuts.
If you’ve found this player, you have found your sucker!
This type of tight-passive player is one that you want to take advantage of. Typically, you will be able to take advantage of this type of player and collect their Poker Chips all night long.
Choose your hand
Some poker players have a lucky hand that they love to try and bluff with. Do you know whose lucky hand this is 10-2? If you watch poker on TV than I bet you do.
You could do this yourself or you could just pick a marginal hand at the right time and see what happens. A good bluffed hand is not about going all in from the start of the hand, a good bluffed hand is about out playing your opponent.
So the lesson here is it’s not so much about the hand you choose as it is about out playing your opponent after the flop.
Go hard or go home
So let’s say that you have staked out your opponent for the whole night and you have chosen a good enough hand in which to bluff. Great, now how much do you bet?
The rule of thumb here is that you want to make your opponent think that you have the nuts right? Well, you do this by betting like you have the nuts.
The point where most poker newbies make the mistake is either betting too much or too little. For instance you may be looking to bluff the table but you go all-in when there is no need for it. Or you try to bluff the river but you only bet 1/10 of what the pot is.
If you’re going to bluff make sure that you bluff like you have the nuts.
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