When bluffing is right in Texas Hold’em
A good bluff is the move ever poker player wants to make. After all, if you ask people what comes to mind when they hear the word poker, most people will say bluffing. Unfortunately this sets the wrong tone for most poker players. See, bluffing is something that should be done with tact and cunning, not simply because it has been popularized in culture and because it seems like the thing to do. Rather bluffing is a well timed move during a moment of opportunity that helps one maximize his or her profit. In this article we will actually focus on what some of these texas holdem bluffing opportunities are. We will discuss three situations that you should look for that indicate a good time to bluff and also what cues will indicate a weak player or a weak situation.
Three Opportunities to Bluff Playing Texas Holdem
- 1. When the flop is awful: When a poor flop falls you might find yourself in an excellent position to bluff, especially if you are in middle or late position. When nothing great comes on the flop, there are a few things going on. For starters, unless players were pre flop raising with big pocket pairs, the likelihood of someone having anything real great is pretty low. What a bluff does in this situation is simply discourages passive players to continue or it convinces other players that despite the awful flop, you hit a piece of it with your bad starting hand and now you have something. Either way, a bluff on a bad flop is usually a pretty good move.
- 2. When it’s a check fest: Many times in hold’em, especially in the low limit games, players get in the horrible habit of simply checking around and around the table. Well, this is a great opportunity for a bluff. Basically what happens is a mob mentality ensues and everyone silently agrees that their hands are awful and its best to just see the next card for free. Well, this is where you need to step in and put an end to the festivities. Next time you’re playing some cards on FullTiltPoker.com and this situation comes up, make a bet and let the table know that you won’t tolerate check fests and that you have a hand anyways despite everyone else’s grim outlook. All that even if you don’t have a hand because it’s an excellent time to bluff!
- 3. Against tight players or few players: We have long preached that the key to bluffing is noticing the situational advantages that make it a good move. Tight players are definitely one of them. Tight and aggressive players are dangerous, but just straight up tight players can be walked all over. A well timed bet against a cautious, tight player can often yield excellent results. This bluff can work regardless of where you are in relation to the tight player. A well timed bet or raise in front of the tight players often times is more effective than a raise after the tight player has already bet. The reason for this is that if a tight player bets, they might have a fairly decent hand.
In addition to the points made above, the main things to focus on in terms of bluffing are players acting weak and lots of checking. Players check really for one reason, because their hand is bad and they want a free card. Less frequently players will check in order to deceive. This however is an altogether different situation and is for another time. For now, focus on bluffing in one of the three situations listed above and you will find yourself extracting more money while at the same time protecting yourself from foolishly throwing away chips because someone told you to bluff.
We recommend practicing your bluffs at Sportsbook Poker. Why? They are USA friendly, offer easy credit card deposits, and a large player base of rookie texas holdem players that you can start out playing against. Use a Sportsbook Promo Code “KICKASS” to lock in the best bonus.
The post When To Bluff in Texas Holdem appeared first on Texas Holdem 101.
