Win More When You Bluff

Another tip in my e-mail box.. sorry for not posting much as of lately. Just my computer is down for a bit. Only other option at this moment in time is the library which limits me to only 1 hour per day.

HERE'S A SIMPLE BLUFFING TECHNIQUE you can use the
next time you play Texas Holdem poker...

I call it the "Mini-Bluff".

The Mini-Bluff is an easy way to win BIGGER POTS
when you bluff... AND... decrease the chances that
your opponents will call your bluff.

It goes like this:

When you want to "buy the pot" and bluff out an
opponent you think is weak, what you do is make
the MINIMUM RAISE possible in the current round
of betting.

After they call, make your REAL BLUFF on the NEXT
round of betting... and take down the pot.

Here's what I mean...

Let's say you're playing $1-2 no limit with good
positioning. Josh makes a pre-flop raise of $15.

The next few players fold... and the action is to
you. You look down at J-10 of diamonds. You know
this is a "hidden hand" that could bust Josh if
something good hits on the flop... so you call.

It's just you and Josh heads-up. The flop hits:

7h-9s-2c

Not exactly the flop you had hoped for. It gives
you an inside straight draw... which means you
have outs... but YOU KNOW BETTER than to chase an
inside straight draw.

Josh represents the flop and bets $25. You know he
doesn't have anything... there's no way that flop
helped him.

He's been representing the flop all night with
that same $25 bet...

So YOUR READ on Josh is that he doesn't have
anything, and that YOU can buy this pot.

What do you do?

The answer is to make the MINIMUM RAISE.

Come back over Josh and make it $50 to play.

(This is your "Mini-Bluff".)

By doing this, you're taking control of the action
and finding out EXACTLY where you stand in the
hand.

Most likely, Josh will call your raise. If he has
something really good, he'll re-raise you. And in
that case you should probably fold.

BUT IF YOUR READ WAS CORRECT-- and Josh DOESN'T
have a strong hand-- he'll just call...

The reason he won't fold is because HE made the
original bet. And since you only raised him the
MINIMUM amount, it won't be enough to scare him
off.

OK, so Josh calls, and the turn hits:

7d

That pairs the board... but is no help to you.

Josh is first to act again, but this time taps his
fist against the table and checks.

Just as you'd hoped.

NOW it's time to make a REAL bluff and buy this
pot.

You come out firing $100 in chips...

Josh shakes his head and says, "I can't call."

He flips over his A-J.

You throw your cards into the muck FACE DOWN...
leaving everyone wondering what you had. And you
rake a nice pot.

Here's why the Mini-Bluff technique is so
powerful:

1. It gives you control in the hand.

When you raise your opponent, you automatically
assume a level of CONTROL. If your opponent
re-raises, he takes control again...

The entire POINT of a bluff is to get your
opponent to fold. If he feels like he's in
control, he won't fold... and your bluff won't
work.

2. You get a better read on your opponent.

In our example, Josh could have easily had
something like A-9 (and hit top pair) or an over
pair or whatever.

You didn't THINK he had something good, but it's
tough to know for sure.

Your Mini-Bluff eliminates the confusion. If Josh
had a monster, he would have either gone back over
the top of you with a re-raise... or would have
bet after the turn card.

Instead, he just CALLED and then CHECKED the turn.
That's pretty much a dead giveaway that he didn't
have anything.

3. It builds the pot.

In this case, you won $25 more by "setting up"
your bluff with the Mini-Bluff. That's $25 more in
your pocket at the end of the night...

If you use the Mini-Bluff technique five times a
game, that's a nice chunk of change added to your
wins.

4. There's less risk involved.

A MINIMUM RAISE is much safer than trying to buy
the pot outright... especially when you're not
completely sure your opponent is weak.

The Mini-Bluff prevents pot-commitment and leaves
you room to GET OUT of the hand if necessary.

5. Your bluff is more believable.

The Mini-Bluff raises "red flags" for your
opponent... mostly because he's not used to it.

It doesn't APPEAR that your bluffing-- and that's
the whole point, of course.

After he calls your Mini-Bluff, he's going to be
weary of you... confused about your hand. And THAT
is the perfect setup for taking down the pot.

So that's the power of the Mini-Bluff.

It's a great technique to add to your poker "bag
of tricks"...

But as with all strategies, use the Mini-Bluff
SPARINGLY. Don't get careless with it or use it
too much.

The Mini-Bluff is NOT a replacement for your
regular bluffing patterns. It's meant to keep your
opponents off balance and MILK them for a few
extra dollars once in awhile.

Also, only perform the Mini-Bluff when you've got
good positioning and sense weakness at the
table... the same conditions as any other bluff.

There's players that know cards and there's players that read people. I'm the later. But the strategy is sound enough.

Bluffing is a good way to build a chip stack when the blinds are large. I dont know if there is a "formula" to bluffing, I'd say you would have to know what type of player he is to be able to bluff them out.
Tight passive players are the best to have to your left, i love games where i get one right there. A min raise will usually get them out and if they go over the top its a easy fold.