J
jeffred1111
Visionary
Silver Level
Read Dorkus' article and then the bluffing and semi-bluffing in TOP (The Theory of Poker): it will give you a rough idea of how you can include bluffing into your game. But, in my mind, you cannot be bad at bluffing, you can only be bad at reading hands/flop, remembering bet patterns, picking your spots: bluffing is not a skill per se, it is a mix of different skills that leads to the decision to bluff and how to do so.
vanquish
Legend
Silver Level
Brilliant!
J
jeffred1111
Visionary
Silver Level
Quote:
Originally Posted by terrbear70
what i do is bet 100 if they just call then go for 250 if they still just call then take it up to 500 or more that has worked for me lots good luck dont hate the messenger if it dont work out lol
Brilliant!
I'm picturing the two cartoons from that Guiness commercial that kept syaing "Brilliant!" over and over again. Thank you for the laugh.
vanquish
Legend
Silver Level
I
Inscore77
Legend
Silver Level
When I go in on a bluff I usually bet 2 to 3 times the BB depending on my outs. If i get a call, I know that person might have a hand, or at least similar outs. I then play off the turn and river as to what I do next. If i hit, I will play the hand accordingly(sp). If I miss, I will either check if I think my oppenet has a strong hand, but if I think he is chasing or a weak player in general, I will lay down another bet.
rob5775
Legend
Silver Level
rob5775
Legend
Silver Level
Pretty general statement. Care to ELABORATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:deal:
R
rachelrach
Rising Star
Bronze Level
It's hard, because you can't come across too weak or too aggressive. You have to find a happy medium where they think you're betting just enough to get them into the pot and making enough money off of the hand. That's what I try to do, and it works for me. But you have to have a good read on them because they just might have a good hand.
naruto_miu
Legend
Silver Level
Well everyone just about sumed it up, i personally try to figure out the player first, put him/her into groups (per say). For instance if i know my player is loose then i wont try to bluff for the simple fact that he/she may have a weak pair and decide on calling just to see what u have, but if i feel this player is semi tight, and only comes in with nice starting hands, then i call because i'm trying to pull off a bluff on this person no matter the flop, unless it's a high flop, then nah cuz i'd figure this person connected due to his/her image at the table. Sry i can't be more help then that....
J
juju
Rising Star
Bronze Level
Are we talking internet poker here or real poker? I always think its much harder on the internet because you don't get such a good read of your opponents.
It can be good to bluff boards with an ace on but remember the people likely to have called to see the flop are those likely to have high cards like aces.
Only other advice I can give is to know when your bluff has gone wrong. If you get raised you can often feel like there's too much in the pot for you to throw away but if you haven't got anything its best to lay your cards down. If you just try to bluff more you can get yourself into a lot of trouble.
Julian
It can be good to bluff boards with an ace on but remember the people likely to have called to see the flop are those likely to have high cards like aces.
Only other advice I can give is to know when your bluff has gone wrong. If you get raised you can often feel like there's too much in the pot for you to throw away but if you haven't got anything its best to lay your cards down. If you just try to bluff more you can get yourself into a lot of trouble.
Julian
J
jeffred1111
Visionary
Silver Level
Post about MICRO games.
It is true that it is somewhat harder to bluff on the internet (and I'm talking about a stone cold bluff): people tend to chase and call even with 3 pair no kicker, even in PL or NL games. What does that teach us ? Unless we have very good position (last to act after the flop), you are facing few opponents (2-3 max), the flop is very dry and THE POT is also very dry, we shouldn't attempt stone cold bluffs unless we know the opposing players is /are capable of folding. Since we need to bluff in order to increase our deceptiveness, it is better to do so in small pots than in big ones, since the pots don't get magically big (someone is bound to have a big hand that doesn't warrant a fold). When we go up in stakes, bluffing in big pots is a move that should be attempted more often. In micros, it won't work often enough to be +EV against a good portion of the opponents we will face.
On the other hand, we should semi-bluff (drawing to the nut with more than 10-12 good outs) more regularly and also value-bet more, since people are more likely to pay us off. We should also learn to fold the big hands (AK, namely) when unimproved against opponents who are still following after a flop and turn bet (and even then, I'm starting to let go of AK regularly against more than 1 opponent on the turn UI in small to medium pots).
PS: I'm not talkign about c-betting when I say to bluff less often in first paragraph. C-betting should be a mainstay in your arsenal since against most opponents, even at the mircos, it will get you a fold 60-70% (maybe not on the flop, but probably on the turn).
It is true that it is somewhat harder to bluff on the internet (and I'm talking about a stone cold bluff): people tend to chase and call even with 3 pair no kicker, even in PL or NL games. What does that teach us ? Unless we have very good position (last to act after the flop), you are facing few opponents (2-3 max), the flop is very dry and THE POT is also very dry, we shouldn't attempt stone cold bluffs unless we know the opposing players is /are capable of folding. Since we need to bluff in order to increase our deceptiveness, it is better to do so in small pots than in big ones, since the pots don't get magically big (someone is bound to have a big hand that doesn't warrant a fold). When we go up in stakes, bluffing in big pots is a move that should be attempted more often. In micros, it won't work often enough to be +EV against a good portion of the opponents we will face.
On the other hand, we should semi-bluff (drawing to the nut with more than 10-12 good outs) more regularly and also value-bet more, since people are more likely to pay us off. We should also learn to fold the big hands (AK, namely) when unimproved against opponents who are still following after a flop and turn bet (and even then, I'm starting to let go of AK regularly against more than 1 opponent on the turn UI in small to medium pots).
PS: I'm not talkign about c-betting when I say to bluff less often in first paragraph. C-betting should be a mainstay in your arsenal since against most opponents, even at the mircos, it will get you a fold 60-70% (maybe not on the flop, but probably on the turn).
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Inscore77
Legend
Silver Level
Even though I posted my strategy earlier, no one style will work for one person. I've read many articles on bluffing and none of them worked for me. You have to develop your skill your own way. Ive been playing for 4 years and I'm just starting to get to where I can pull off some good bluffs. Practice makes perfect, and if you're going to bluff, your reads better be perfect.
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MississippiMud
Enthusiast
Silver Level
I'm not that great at bluffing.Any suggestions on how to improve this skill?
*Christi
2 things that I pay particular attention to.
1) Know who the bad players are... the ones who will call seemingly at random or chase insane draws
2) Know what table image you are projecting to the players that show skills and are paying attention
Once you have those 2 figured out you can pick intelligent spots to bluff
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Will Sidis
Rising Star
Bronze Level
That's a good point. If the board looks scary to you, it probably also looks scary to your opponent. This is where postion can pay. If the board comes up AhKhQh, this can be a good situation to bluff if it is checked to you in a three/two handed situation.
Also, its important to remember to bluff mostly in headsup situations.
daxter70
Visionary
Silver Level
why BLUFF that board....JJ is callin u with no heart!!!:deal:
NightFun
CC Elite CC=AWESOME! Woof
Loyaler
I'm not that great at bluffing.
*Christi
Hope this helps you out! and Good Luck!
"Poker is not just a mathematical game. It is also a game that entails a lot of psychological combat. Three of the most important psychological weapons in poker are Bluffing, Semi-Bluffing, and Slowplaying.
Bluffing
Bluffing is much more useful in a no-limit game than in a limit game. In a no-limit game, a player's entire stack is at risk each hand. In a limit game, players know they can only lose so much if they call to the river.
Bluffing is almost useless in a low-stakes limit game (anything less than $2-$4). Rarely will a hand not be called to showdown, so there is no point in scaring people out of the pot. Bluffing becomes a much more powerful tool at high-limit games. When you play at a higher limit, it's best to bluff when you 'represent' something and there are only one or two opponents in the pot. For example, betting at the flop with a high card on the board represents a pair, and raising with a flush draw out represents the flush.
Semi-Bluffing
Semi-bluffing is the name for bluffing when you also hold a drawing hand.
Your Hand As Ks
Board Js 3s 4d
You currently only have ace high, but you may hit a spade flush or make a pair of aces or kings. If you bet with this hand, you are bluffing, but you also have a high likelihood of gaining a strong hand on later betting rounds. Semi-bluffing can be a very useful technique, especially in no-limit games.
Slowplaying
Slowplaying means deceiving your opponents into thinking you have a weak hand, when in fact you hold a powerhouse."
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aarogorn_
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Don't think of it as bluffing, think of it as agressive play. Watch the players and do it more to the ones that have a pattern of betting only when they have something. If your in postition or close to being in good postition don't ever let anyone have a free card. I hear this often "If you bet or raise you have two ways to win"