Bluffing 101

I’ve seen a good number of posts asking about bluffing. I don’t consider myself a “master bluffer” but I am pretty good at it. So I am going to start a rather long series of articles about bluffing and bluffing tactics.


Some of the posts will be good, some will be bad, but I will post each tactic individually specifically so they can be commented on or torn apart as necessary.


I truly hope this this series will make you a better, safer bluffer. And if one day you pull off a master bluff on me, then that will be the greatest compliment.

BLUFFS MT.00: Misc. Tips Introduction

This first series of posts will be generic misc. tips. There won’t be many, but hopefully they will be beneficial. Obviously the best tip is to learn by reading books about bluffing and watching videos, so if anyone has a great book or video they have learned from, please post it here so everyone else can benefit.

BLUFFS MT.01: Telling a story

The first thing to realize about bluffing is that you are not simply betting to bluff. Simply betting is going to get you into a lot of trouble. What you have to do is think of bluffing as telling a story.
A good bluffing story has 1 very specific plot. You cannot jump from plot to plot. Once you begin bluffing a hand you must have a plot in mind and stick to that plot. If you begin a bluff acting like you have a monster starting pair, you cannot suddenly switch to acting like you made a flush just because 4 to a flush hits the board. And if the texture of the board changes so that your story would be beat by what's on the board, you must abandon your story and fold away your bluff. Some of the plots you can use are:

• Starting with a monster hand.
• Starting with a medium hand, but hitting a good flop.
• Playing a good hand to the turn or river which then gives you a great hand.
• Playing as though you have a good hand that does not hit, hoping that no one else hits as well.
• Playing scare cards (e.g. holding off on bluffing until the ace drops on the board).

If you start your bluffing as though you have a monster hand (AK for example), you can't suddenly switch your plot to hitting the flop when it comes 99T. You must continue playing as though you have the monster hand that missed the flop. Which may mean placing a bet and folding to the re-raise.
Always remember, telling a story and sticking with it is probably the most important aspect of bluffing. If you're not telling a story, then no one is going to believe your story.

BLUFFS MT.02: Table Image is ultimately important

You cannot bluff a table if the entire table knows you are a bluffer. Period.
In order to be a good bluffer, you must set a table image and then stick to it. Playing tight aggressive is the best way to bluff as it tells the table you don't play many hands, but when you do play hands you have a good one and play it like a good one.
Now, if you have a TAG table image and bluff you must bluff as a TAG. What that means is, you cannot throw out bluffs more often than you catch good starting hands. If you typically play 1 hand every 2 orbits, than you cannot start bluffing 1 hand every orbit. You must stick with your playing frequency and only bluff when you've gone a while without catching a hand.
Also, if you have a TAG table image and decide to bluff, you cannot play it passively, you must bluff aggressively. You can't have a TAG image and bluff 2 BBs each street, that's not aggressive. If you'd bet the pot on a made hand, then you must bet the pot if you intend to bluff a made hand.
Each table image has its own style of bluffing, but ultimately there is one simple rule to follow. Whatever your table image is, continue that table image when you bluff. Otherwise, other players will see right through you.

BLUFFS MT.03: Moving to a new table

This post is about moving to a new table, but also applies to new players arriving at your table.
Something to remember is that building a table image takes time. It takes several orbits. You cannot play TAG for 1 orbit and expect the table to identify you as a TAG payer. If you are going to play and bluff as a TAGger, then you must do so over the course of numerous orbits where the first set of orbits you do no bluffing and then start throwing in bluffs after everyone at the table has gotten used to you. People aren't going to fold to your TAG bluffs unless they think you are a TAG player and they won't think you are a TAG player just because you folded a few hands.
In addition, if you've built a table image over numerous hands and a new player joins the table, that new player has no idea how you've been playing. Before you can bluff that new player you must establish your table image for that player all over again before you can bluff them.

BLUFFS MT.04: Bluffing without hesitation

Players new to bluffing have to get over the mentality of, "if I bet on a bluff with a weak hand, I will lose that bluff money because I don’t have a strong hand." This is the root of all hesitations towards bluffing. It may be a thought that only crosses your mind for a second and then you get over it, but that one second can mean the difference between a successful bluff and a called bluff. You need to change your mindset. You need to think, my bet(s) will cause this person to fold and so I’m not just throwing away money, I'm going to win this pot. If you have the nuts, you don't hesitate and think, I may not win this hand. You bet it, perhaps you think about the bet some, but you do not "hesitate". Believe it or not, people can pick up on hesitations. You bet fast, but not fast enough. You think about a bet, but think about it too long. Etc. If you're going to bluff, it must be played EXACTLY the same way you would have played a made hand. And that means bluffing without hesitations.

Well yeah, don't be afraid to bluff... but you could also just hesitate more when you are betting with the nuts.

Your bets and their sizing should tell a story whether you are bluffing or betting with the goods.

Good luck to you!

I agree with this, and I think it's vital for new players to understand why this is the case. I would advise new players who might read this to learn about how GTO strategy works and how you try to use this as a basis for every bluff or value bet you make. There is a very good video by DougPolkPoker on this, but in a nutshell, every time you bet you should have some bluffs and some good hands which play in exactly the same way (as JohnathanAReth said). The more hands you believe will be profitable bluffs as a proportion of the total hands you bet or the more polarized your range needs to be, the bigger you should bet. You should generally choose hands which have low showdown equity but some chance to make a hand on later streets as bluffs, and then also bet with hands which can get calls from worse hands as value bets. Both of these things should be done in the same way, and you should be aware of all the hands that you make a play with when you make a bet. If you start to go too far down the road of thinking 'I'll bet at this size with my bluffs' or 'I'll tank before I bet with this value hand so it looks like I'm thinking about it' you go down a slippery slope of being completely exploitable by thinking players.

BLUFFS TtB.00: Training to Bluff

In this series I'm going to discuss a few ways I forced myself to get better at bluffing which did not involve reading books or watching videos. They are gaming strategies which, while not allowing you to win anything, do improve your ability to bluff.

The IMPORTANT KEY here is that these tips will NOT allow you to win a tournament. They will train you to bluff.

BLUFFS TtB.01: Bluffing Only freerolls

One way to teach yourself how to bluff is to play "bluff only" freerolls. In these freerolls, you do not allow yourself to bet good hands. You only allow yourself to play bad hands with the intention of bluffing. By forcing yourself to only play bluffs you learn how to pick and choose places where you can bluff without being able to rely on strong hands to make up for your mistakes.

BLUFFS TtB.02: Playing Blind freerolls

To learn bluffing, play blind freerolls. This literally means don't allow yourself to see your cards. This is easier done in live games, but can also be done by somehow covering up the location of your cards on the screen so you cannot see them (WARNING: Don't use tape or other adhesives that will remain on the screen). By not letting yourself know what cards you have and choose to force yourself to bluff blind you learn to bluff with the added advantage of actually having the best hand occasionally. In this training method, you also don't bet every hand. You space your bluffs out to a consistency that you would typically play hands.
A few exceptions, if someone else goes all-in, you can’t bluff them, so check your cards and decide if you want to call (if you’ve got a great hand). Also, if someone re-raises your bluff, you can check your cards to see if you’ve got a winning hand before folding or re-raising. In either case, you’re no longer pushing a bluff so you might as well check what cards you have.

BLUFFS TtB.03: Forcing Bluffs freerolls

One other way you can learn to bluff is by forcing yourself to bluff once every 1 or 2 orbits. Ion this method, you play normally except once an orbit or two you have to bluff at least once. This training strategy allows you to learn how to bluff naturally within your own playing style. I still suggest you only do this in freerolls as, until you bluff naturally, this is still forcing yourself to do it which means you are forcing yourself to risk chips in potentially bad, throw away, situations.

I am agree, but playing for real money in medium buy-in tables and up.
In Freerolls, you don't have any reference on betting patterns, since 80% or more are pure donks, that usually wants to double the initial stack or simply go all in with any Ace -rag pocket cards.
You would be folding the first 1 hour.

JonathanAReth said:

I’ve seen a good number of posts asking about bluffing. I don’t consider myself a “master bluffer” but I am pretty good at it. So I am going to start a rather long series of articles about bluffing and bluffing tactics.


Some of the posts will be good, some will be bad, but I will post each tactic individually specifically so they can be commented on or torn apart as necessary.


I truly hope this this series will make you a better, safer bluffer. And if one day you pull off a master bluff on me, then that will be the greatest compliment.

Click to expand...

Hi! Thanks for taking the time to do all these. They really should be all in one thread though. I've merged the topics. Thanks.

BLUFFS TA.00: Table Attention

The next step to learning to become a good bluffer is learning to pay attention to the table and identify who can and cannot be bluffed. Now, I’m not going to discuss how to spot TAGers or LAGers or things like that. There are plenty of books and videos for teaching you those concepts (that and they are very difficult concepts to explain and I’m not good enough with them yet to be honest).
Instead, I’m going to give tips specifically about identifying key things about people at the table which, when used in conjunction with other table tracking skills, will improve your bluffing game.

BLUFFS TA.01: Track Calling Addicts (true Donks)

A “true donk” (donkey, stubborn creature) is not simply a bad player or someone who got lucky against your AA, nor is it as simple as a river rat. A true donk is someone who will stubbornly play to the end of the hand regardless of what they have. Occasionally they get lucky on the river, a lot of times they do not, but with low or even no holdings this player will stick it out till the end. I refer to true donks as calling-addicts. They are addicted to calling, thinking they can get lucky if they hold out just long enough. And sometimes they do for really big pots, which is why they keep on doing it.


EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Do not mistake a failed bluff for someone who is a addicted to calling. A calling addict is someone who calls to the river, not someone who bets to the river. If someone does most of the betting and then reveals a complete miss, they were trying to bluff, not win the pot. They are not a calling addict they are a fellow bluffer. Be very careful when dealing with them.


So, how do you detect calling addicts (i.e. people you should not try to bluff no matter what because they will call you no matter what you do)? Well, watch the table and look for the following two signs (that I know of).

• How often does this person call every street to reveal they only had mid-pair at best? Careful, if someone only does it once and wins the hand, they probably had a read on whoever was doing the betting. If it happens more than once, they’re probably a calling addict.
• How often does this person call every street and then fold at the river (as though they had nothing and just wanted to see what would happen at the end)? Again, if someone only does this once, they may have been scared off by the river. You have to look for repeat offenders. Also, be wary of people who bet big early in the hand, then called and folded on the river. They probably had a hand and got scared off by the bluff.

And finally, when you are looking for calling addicts, don’t count someone who is in a very small pot. If no one is betting then they are not calling and therefore do not judge them as being a calling addict.

BLUFFS TA.02: Track who can you bluff

Obviously, everyone wants to know who can be bluffed. How do you know you can bluff someone? Well, I can’t teach you that. All I can do is give you one tip that increases the likeliness someone is capable of being bluffed. Again, always be watching the table. This time watch for someone who bets or calls down to the river and then, with no scare card on the river, folds to a large bet or re-raise. This is a sure sign of one of 3 things:

• They were bluffing and knew they could not get a fold.
• They were chasing a draw and missed.
• They were betting with a good hand and got scared when the bet / re-raise came in.

In all three of the above situations, there is a good indication that this person is susceptible to being bluffed. Keep track of these players and try to abuse them with timely bluffs when the situation is right, of course.
Always remember, no matter how perfect someone seems to bluff, they are always capable of catching a good hand right when you try it. So be careful.

BLUFFS TA.03: Never show a bluff

A lot of people, even pros, love to show bluffs with the hopes that it will get people to call them down when they have a monster hand. If you want to make bluffing a solid part of your game, never do this. Avoid allowing your bluffs to be seen if at all possible. Without having the table image of being a solid, but non-bluffing opponent, you cannot convince people that you are not bluffing. Or, to say it another way, if people know you bluff, they will know you’re bluffing the next time you do it. So, no matter how tempting it is to show off what you’ve pulled off and to put people on tilt, just don’t do it. Your table image is just too precious when you’re a bluffer.

BLUFFS TA.04: Caught Bluffing

Keeping track of how other people perceive you is just as important as keeping track of how other people play. Even more-so when you are a bluffer. If a player knows you bluffed them, it can be almost impossible to bluff them again. If other players at the table know you bluff, it can be extremely difficult to bluff any player at the table. So, when you get caught bluffing, make note of who it was you bluffed and don’t try them again. Also keep track of who else was at the table who may have paid attention and be extra careful bluffing them.

BLUFFS TA.05: What to do after getting caught

So, you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar. How do you restore your image so that you can get back to bluffing? Well, it’s going to take a few orbits. Don’t bluff again for at least 2-3 orbits. In addition to not bluffing, turn off auto muck and show your big hands. Most people don’t want to show big hands, but you need to tell the table, “when I bet, I’ve got it so back off”. Then, when the table respects you again, you can go back to bluffing. Just try to avoid bluffing the person who the bluff was against. People tend to hold grudges.

yo jon

tks for the post....yours i read and try and apply to my game....keep up the good thoughts and post my friend

BLUFFS TA.06: Bluffing Player Types

Tight players are easier to bluff, but much more dangerous.
Loose players are harder to bluff, but can pay out more.


When bluffing someone who you’ve already identified how they play, keep the above two rules in mind. When bluffing a tight players you have to be very careful because a tight player is only playing when they have a strong hand. If they are tight, then they are strong when they do play. However, if you can identify when they have missed their hand it is easier to get them to fold than a loose player.
When bluffing a loose player remember it is harder to get them to fold. Loose players like to, well, play loose with their chips which means more calling to raises. However, they don’t necessarily limit their play to strong hands. And they like putting chips into the pot. So if you can figure out when one of them is playing loose you can rack up a lot of extra chips when they finally do fold on the river.

BLUFFS TA.07: Is someone trying to bluff you?

DISCLAIMER: I do not claim to know how to tell when someone is bluffing. I guess right about 60% of the time, which is still only about the guessing average of 50/50. Be very careful implementing this article as it may be completely wrong. But it sounds good in theory.

If you want to figure out whether or not someone is trying to bluff you, don’t even bother unless you have been watching them closely for at least 10+ plays (not individual hands, but hands they have actually played which can take numerous orbits to see). While observing this player or players, keep track of the following information to help determine if they are bluffing you. All of this information requires that you actually see their hands.



How do they play behind? Watch to see how they play when they are behind in the hand, but are still betting the hand. If they continue betting when they know they are probably behind (low or medium value hands) then you know they bluff.


How do they play ahead? Watch to see how they handle monster hands. Do they trap or do they go all-in? If they trap, then they probably aren’t bluffing when they only check or call the turn and then suddenly bet big on the river. If they go all-in on a monster hand, then they probably don’t have one when they just bet BBs or Pot bets.


How do they play when it's even? How do they play when there is an equally good chance that they are winning vs. losing? Things like them having a flush using the 9 where there is an equal number of cards below the flush as above it. Do they only check/call? If so, a huge bet may push them off a medium hand. Do they raise? If so, odds are they are going to call any bet when there is a drawing hand on the board.


How do they play when they’re almost out of chips? If they are someone who plays all-in poker when they get low on chips then you can’t really bluff them, but if they go all-in you may be able to call more often. If they are someone who plays conservatively, just trying to survive, then you can steal a bunch of their chips by raising, but not by re-raising. As stated in a previous article, they are playing tight and bluffing them can be much more dangerous because they will probably have a made hand if they are betting.


How do they play when their opponent is almost out? Do they like to put pressure on regardless of what they’ve got? Do they try to trap when they have a made hand? When their opponent is almost out, or has considerably less chips, they will alter their play and you need to watch that in case you are in that situation with them.

DISCLAIMER AGAIN: I do not claim to know how to tell when someone is bluffing. I guess right about 60% of the time, which is still only about the guessing average of 50/50. Be very careful implementing this article as it may be completely wrong. But it sounds good in theory.

BLUFFS TA.08: Can’t bluff inexperienced players

It is hard, maybe impossible to bluff an inexperienced player. You can usually take their chips through normal play, but not through bluffing. This is because they are only playing the hand they have and not thinking about what hands could be on the board. For instance, if they have a pair of aces, they aren’t going to fold to your 3-card flush bluff. Nor will they fold to a made set bluff even if 2 cards are on the board. They just won’t believe you have the cards, or they won’t even think about anyone having the cards because they just don’t see the possibilities. So keep track of players who call down with a medium or strong hand, but ignore the possibilities on the board. Such as AA calling to 4 suits on the board.

BLUFFS TtB.04: Playing every hand freerolls

Here is another means of forcing yourself into learning how to bluff using freerolls. It’s intended to drill into you situations which are not bluffable. It also teaches you that you cannot make a bluff by calling or playing passive. If you’re going to bluff you must make a bet or a raise at the pot.

1. Rule 1: You must play every hand.
2. Rule 2: At some point in every hand, you must make a “play” at the pot. Either a bet or a raise of some kind.
3. Rule 3: You can fold a hand if one of the following occurs:

As for good hands, you play those normally so you have a shot at keeping a stack. It also shows you how people react to your good hands after you have been doing a lot of bluffing.