Not Bluffing - at least a semi-bluff is needed, right

L

LifeLab

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Hi All,

Several people have told me not to bluff during a tournament. I don't see how is possible, which tells me I might need to experiment with the way I play.

Should I expand the range of cards I use? How about the mid-stage of tournament? Sometimes consistent bad cards kind of force me to bluff.

I would love to hear from those who can avoid bluffing and how it's done (if anyone is willing to share!).
 
6

619Leafs

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Hi All,

Several people have told me not to bluff during a tournament. I don't see how is possible, which tells me I might need to experiment with the way I play.

Should I expand the range of cards I use? How about the mid-stage of tournament? Sometimes consistent bad cards kind of force me to bluff.

I would love to hear from those who can avoid bluffing and how it's done (if anyone is willing to share!).

I have read a lot of poker tips and advice but even for myself I am having a hard time balancing between agressiveness/bluffing and being tight.

In tournaments bluffing should be opportunistic not a game plan.

Play tight most of the time but at some point you have to loosen your play because blinds will climb and will catch up to your stack.

My recommedation for loosening your range would be to play suited and semi connectors such 86 suited and QJ, K10 along those hands.

Sometimes it might get you in trouble playing these hands because you could get out kicked but that is the risk you take to climb higher in the standings of a tournament.
 
1k95

1k95

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Most often at the table appears a player who will constantly provoke everyone to raise the stakes, and people will not have a way out, especially if they have already made bets. Watch him when he raises? Be sure - only a desperate fool will raise to the river without the necessary combination. It is at such moments that you can catch and punish him.
 
L

LifeLab

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Thank you both for you're comments. Make bluffing opportunistic and not a game plan. That makes sense.
 
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Marmot66

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I bluff 5% maybe 10% sometimes , depending on the other players at the table and how aggressive they are
 
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Tricky123bet

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Semibluffing is the way to go at the lower stakes. So if you decide to bluff, do so when you have a flushdraw or straightdraw, or at least some kind of equity. Do so against players that you know can fold to agression.
Also keep the bluffing to a minimum in the early stages of a tournament, and start getting more and more aggressive with a few bluffs at mid-late stage.
 
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LFC_yllnwa

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It's not necessary to bluff completely bad hands at all. It's a bad game. The range should be a little wider than the usual you play. A good bluff or semi-bluff is good against players with a small stack! But be ready to get all in! :(
 
akmost

akmost

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I have read a lot of poker tips and advice but even for myself I am having a hard time balancing between agressiveness/bluffing and being tight.

In tournaments bluffing should be opportunistic not a game plan.

Play tight most of the time but at some point you have to loosen your play because blinds will climb and will catch up to your stack.

My recommedation for loosening your range would be to play suited and semi connectors such 86 suited and QJ, K10 along those hands.

Sometimes it might get you in trouble playing these hands because you could get out kicked but that is the risk you take to climb higher in the standings of a tournament.

I couldn't agree more with all these suggestions. Be patient and wait for sweet spots in order to boost your chip stack and lead you deeper to the MTT. You can always semi bluff your draws if you have position on your opponent and if you hit them most of the times you will get paid well.

Don't play any two because you are card dead for some orbits. Read some standard plays like the re steal move and what range of hands to apply pressure with.

If you want to bluff with air you must understand that your opponent must be a good player in order to understand what story are you trying to tell to him , but if your story is not convincing and has some flaws expect him to take your chips.
 
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Picasi

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Bluffing

Bluffing is a matter of timing. You cannot expect to perform such moves unless you have been at the table for a while and you have read most of your opponents as well as possible.
 
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Thenightrain

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In online tournaments it can be hard to bluff because players get moved tables so often. To execute an effective bluff you need a table image as a TAG player, someone only playing the strongest starting hands aggressively, then bet aggressively on every street no matter what cards you are dealt. Obviously you should try to turn a draw hand into a bluff, not just bluff with 7-2 unless you're feeling very confident.
 
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Yoo

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Bluff isnt something that you can make regulary is situational and if you ''feel'' you can steel the pot cuz...and here are manny things that can tell you if you'l succed,week oponent,tight player,the flop is weird this can help you to make profit.

But you cant say at start of a table i will bluff 10 times here.Cuz that wont happen.:))
 
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LifeLab

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Thank you for all of your posts. It's amazing how much I can learn by keeping my mind open!
 
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Jerry Kierl

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You didn't state whether you were talking about a freeroll tourney or a buy in (amount) I don't feel that you can bluff to much in a freeroll cuz your opponents don't have a stack in the game. Many will call with nothing or come over the top, Either they will hit or they will play another freeroll. Buy ins are a different story.
 
dominiq

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I think you should observe your opponents. Some of them play very fearfully and you can bluff them quite easy and others will call almost everytime, so you should avoid bluffing them.
Sometimes there is a situation that you see that everybody missed the flop and nobody want to take the pot, and then you can try to bluff also.
 
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Harvin2k

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Big bluffs I find are a bad move. I prefer doing tiny bluffs that gather me information which could save me money:cool::confused::mad:
 
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Rational Madman

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If only three people are in a hand, bluffing becomes an option. As long as there are 3+ others than yourself, you stand MAJORITY of times being somehow outdrawn so you better have a very good read on all 3 players to pull it off.
 
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