Bluffing in online poker

Poker Strategy
43

The way I miss boards? Yeah, that’s a pure bluff. LOL If I was playing this hand in the situation you described, I think my raise size is a bit larger though. I’d be out of position and I’d like to take the pot or at worst get it to heads-up.

Since I was the aggressor, I would continue with many hands but I’m going to say I check this flop. I’ve been reading a lot about playing flush draws and some really good players suggest using the nut-flush draw as part of your checking range to protect it and for deception. The worst situation is that you lead and 1 of the other 2 players raise you. This is too strong a hand to fold but you aren’t loving getting it all in at this point either. The nit has something tasty since he didn’t fold to your raise and you described him as very tight. I don’t want to lead into him and have him put in a large raise here.

So, I would go with a check and then start turning the hand into a semi-bluff on the turn if checked around and I didn’t catch anything. If I did hit the flush on the turn, I would also check and hope to induce a bluff from one of the other players. If I did fire the flop, its for the purpose of ending the hand so I’d bet 2/3rds pot or more. If the nit calls, you are likely behind but with plenty of outs. If the station comes along and calls too, you are getting great pot odds so this seems like a good situation to let develop over at least 1 more street before doing anything drastic.

44

While bluffing is an important tool in any good poker players arsenal it should not be your main strategy and playing low and no value hands with bluffing in mind is never a good idea.

I only consider a bluff if I was holding good cards pre-flop but didn’t hit on the flop and my opponents are showing no interest in the flop or I read them holding a weak hand like a single pair or fishing for a flush or straight.

If I have a low odds possible or just a high card this would be the place for a quick bluff and usually a pot bet to get a fold.

This works best if there are not many players in the hand. The more players the more likely someone will call and hit on the turn.

If they are looking for a flush or another match for trips or a straight hit then you probably wasted that bluff and will have to fold so you have to know the odds of your opponent hitting a hand to calculate the risk of a bluff.

The majority of average players are risk averse so if they do not hit on the flop they will fold to any bet as long as you make them believe you did hit.

If I have a solid possible on the flop like a small pair or flush or straight hit then I am betting on the possible and that is called a semi-bluff.

You don’t have a winner yet but after calculating the odds of hitting your possible you know what your risk is and bet based on that possible hitting.

You have to evaluate what your opponent is likely holding and betting and if they have a history of fishing or bluffing or only betting pat hands.

If they have a history of fishing or bluffing and you have a strong possible then a substantial bet here might get you a fold for the pot or at least get you a look at another card.

The last bluffing strategy is the stone cold or naked bluff and is rarely used by advanced players because it is very high risk and if you get called it turns out badly and makes you look like a fool.

A naked bluff means you have nothing not even high card and you expect that your opponent has a hand better than yours but there is a possible on the table that you could convince them you hit.

For example you think your opponent has two pair but there is an obvious flush or straight possible on the table so you are bluffing that you hit that hand and scare them in to a fold.

This works best if you have not shown a history of bluffing and you have occasionally shown your cards on solid hands so you have convinced your opponents that you are not likely bluffing.

I have used a naked bluff only rarely when I get to the river and realize a fold would cost me a chance at getting in to the money in a tourney or I am up against a weak player that has a history of folding under pressure.

It is always a high risk play and usually turns out badly and might leave you looking like a fool but if you read your opponent and the risk of a bluff is less than a risk of a fold then a naked bluff is an option. Just don’t think it is a great strategy or should be used often. It is a hail marry play at best.

So that is my bluff strategy and it doesn’t require any mathematics calculations and relies more on understanding odds of your and your opponents hands and betting according to that risk and reading your opponent.

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45

Bet for value here. Making reasonable range assumptions you are a favorite against the two players you’re facing.

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46

Yeah, I think you have to bet. Technically a bluff, but one I need to do most of the time.

Checking now makes it so much harder to represent strength later. I don’t think checking hides anything. A lot of people would check a flush draw here, and let’s face it, you aren’t loving your hand unless you hit a flush. There’s still so very many ways this can go bad.

Nobody ever folds to a check, so you have to bet something. I would bet 1/3 of the pot.

I want to maintain control of the action, set the pot odds, and try to control the pot size. I want to fluff the pot up a little in case I make a hand, but I don’t want to throw away all my chips doing it because I probably won’t make a hand.

My dream hand would have one or both of these guys on the same flush draw. Yeah, if they have my flush outs, it’s less likely I’ll hit, but if we do hit, I might break them both. My bet gives them at least 4-1, so I’m allowing flush draws to continue while blocking any goofy gutshots. I think I have a good shot of seeing the turn on my terms.

If one of them shoves over me, I don’t have so much invested that folding will make me cry. There aren’t many hands they can raise with, so I’m willing to take that small chance. If both of them move in, I’m probably going to call. I have to think I’ll either make my flush and beat them both or not make it and lose to both, but I only pay once when I lose and get paid twice when I win, so let’s do it. Taking 2-1 odds on a 2-1 draw won’t make me rich, but AQ can win in other ways, so I come out ahead.

My ideal situation is that both call and we see the turn.

My dream outcome is for all 3 of us to have a flush by the river because that’s my best chance to felt them both. I can’t make that happen, but I can do everything in my power to let it happen. I’m not going to set up roadblocks in my own path to success.

If I bet, say, 1/2 the pot here, I’m not giving other flush draws a good enough price to continue. Why would I fold out the very best possible hands I could face? These are the guys who will pay me the most if we hit, I don’t want to kill my best customers!

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47

If you can get people to fold their flush draws for a 1/2 pot bet you must be playing on a different site than this one :smiley:

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48

Haha, so true.

But a few people will fold. Mr. Tight might.

Why not minimize my costs and my player losses at the same time? I want to win way way more on the 1 time I hit this flush than I lose on the 2 times I miss it, and I’m probably betting the turn unless a non-diamond king hits.

If I make the flush on the turn, I’m betting 1/3 again. Now I want any diamond to take a shot at making a flush. I want to make it mathematically correct for you to chase your own utter destruction.

1 Like
49

Another good article on bluffing:

"What makes a bluff successful? You have to know how to pick your spots. There are six general matters you need to consider when deciding whether or not to bluff: your opponents, your image, the betting history of the hand, your position, the strength of your hand, and the size of the bet. "