How to Bluff in Poker

A risky tactic, bluffing in poker is not something to apply regularly. But for that extraordinary chance to take down a big pot at poker night, you might just be able to bluff your way through. Here are some suggestions for successful bluffing in poker.

Steps

1. Understand the stakes. Bluffing can go wrong and cause you to lose a lot of money and possibly face! By betting money into a pot that you know you're not necessarily going to win, you're taking a big risk. On the other hand, sometimes opportunity strikes and seems so winnable, and the other players so "bluffable", that it's worth the risk. It is worth understanding from the outset that bluffing is a lot less common than shown in the movies; in most cases, you do need to have good cards.

• In tournaments avoid shorter stacks who will be looking to get their money in lightly or deeper stacks that can afford to look you up. Medium stacks are the ideal target.
• Bluff when it's worth doing so but also when the stakes are highest; bluffing works best in higher stakes because the pressure's on!
• Talented poker players acquire their skill from thousands upon thousands of hands of experience. If you continue to play poker with discipline and an open mind, your chances of bluffing successfully should increase consistently. A good bluffer is a good story-teller and "makes it real".
• The best bluff is one where nobody knows you've bluffed and you don't get caught!

2. Understand how to read the tells. "Tells" are important - they're the analyzing side of playing poker. Not only does a good knowledge of tells tell when someone else is bluffing, knowing common signs of bluffing will help you to try and avoid your own unconscious giveaway signs. And listen to other's advice about when they consider you're bluffing; being consciously aware of your subconscious tells can be used to your advantage by forcing the "bluff" tells when you want someone to think you're bluffing but you're not!

• Watch how chips are put down. They can be placed down gently, counted down, banged down, slid forward, etc. If a player bets his chips very strong and far away from himself, it can mean that subconsciously their chips are going away from them, and they might be bluffing. On the other hand, a person betting closer to themselves can subconsciously mean that the money is coming back to them.
• Watch the body language. Look for eye twitches, lip movements, scratching, flaring nostrils, holding of breath, and hand movements (such as covering parts of the face). All of these things can indicate bluffing.
• Shaking is considered to be a sign of strength.
• When your opponent acts strong they are likely weak. Staring you down whilst you act, splashing the pot, or forcing a smile when a certain card hits are all common signs.

Watch other players to learn the tells when they're bluffing. Learn good tricks from those who bluff well.

3. Develop the proverbial poker face. Keen instincts and sharp intellect must be combined with the ability to show no emotion, or reveal nothing other than casual involvement in the game. Look at your cards casually. Don't give away any information and keep your face as expressionless as stone. Avoid expressing disappointment at seeing bad cards - this is crucial if you're playing face to face.

• Consider using props. Cowboys in the Wild West used to use their hats to cover their faces. In the age of televised poker, novelty props such as crazy hats, spooky glasses, and fancy wear can turn a player's chosen image into a big business affiliated product.
• A hoodie and sunglasses can work to cover your face.

4. Begin bluffing. While the instructions outlined in the following steps are specialized for "Texas Hold 'Em," they can be applied to any type of poker game.

5. Start by counting how many players are in the hand. Your chances of successfully bluffing are greater with fewer opponents because you have fewer people to drive out of the pot. Bluffing one or two players is more profitable than bluffing three or more players.

6. Bet, or raise someone else's bet, in the first round of betting, before the flop. Do not bet too much, and don't raise an already large bet. If you think someone else actually has a great to play another hand.

7. Make a check, if it's available, either after the flop or turn. Make a reasonable bet in the other round. Consistent betting makes your opponents think you really have a winning hand and are trying to get as many chips out of them as you can. It takes guts to carry out a good bluff, but if it's done right it will work.

8. Remember that the bet following the river card is the most important. This one must be powerful and intimidating. If the check comes to you, place a large bet. If a player bets in front of you, there are two things you can do. If they bet small, a significantly larger bet might push them out. However, if they make a large, bluff-like bet, your best chance would be to call and go all in. The best feeling in poker is catching someone on a bluff and taking down a large pot with a bluff of your own.

• The turn card is very important. If you bet big on the turn when you've been betting moderately earlier, players will be more intimidated. If you think you've won the hand on the turn card, you may even want to check and then bet like crazy on the river. People are more likely to call a big bet if you checked before, thinking you might be bluffing. This works even better if you've been (accidentally?) caught bluffing earlier.

9. Remember that the most important aspect is to tell a story with your bet. No matter how much advice you've followed from this article, an ill-timed river bet will not tell a cohesive story on its own.
For example: Let's say you raise pre-flop, and bet hard again on a flop of 9-3-J. With no available draws, your opponent might put you on a pair of jacks or pocket pair. If the turn brings a 3 and you bet again, your opponent will certainly not put you on a real hand, as you couldn't have raised hard pre-flop with any hand containing a 3 only to bet bottom pair hard on the flop. A savvy opponent will simply call your bets and rake in the pot with any made hand. Pay attention to the texture of the flop and watch how the hand unfolds. Represent a certain specific hand consistently with your betting pattern.

• Bluff cards that will likely have weakened your opponents hand. if your opponent has called on a J-7-2 flop and the turn comes a 7 this is not a good time to bluff as any pair your opponent may hold will still be as strong as before. If the turn comes down a K unless your opponents pair of jacks or sevens is not looking so good now so they are more likely to fold.