Are you one of the people who bluffs?

ZenonBR

ZenonBR

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Sep 29, 2023
Total posts
880
Awards
4
BR
Chips
129
Yes, I used to bluff a lot to force my opponent to fold, but I ended up studying more about this and saw through theory and practice that bluffing too much is not profitable, I tend to only use semi-bluffing with a maximum of 3 opponents at the table, and occasionally dry bluffs if I have a lot of chips and heads up against BB, but they are becoming increasingly rare.
 
M

Magallaneroy

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Nov 21, 2023
Total posts
195
VE
Chips
435
It is part of my tools to play Poker. Not very often but yes. That's worth it.
 
V

valanddon

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Dec 26, 2016
Total posts
1,043
Awards
3
CA
Chips
237
If you try to bluff in freerolls, everybody calls with nothing and you ussally lose.
 
Rosylly

Rosylly

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 1, 2024
Total posts
69
UA
Chips
95
If you won't bluff you will lose some money in a long term, it's just a tool that you have to use sometimes. But you have to feel the field, the opponents, don't bluff out of position etc.
 
TulasMoreno

TulasMoreno

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 6, 2016
Total posts
1,009
Awards
3
MX
Chips
280
In order to be a good poker player you need to bluff to get better prizes, so, you have to do it, no matter what.
 
A

arshuns

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Jun 27, 2022
Total posts
387
Awards
1
BY
Chips
93
I rarely bluff. But I like to blast my opponent's bluff.
 
jcxmendes

jcxmendes

Visionary
Bronze Level
Joined
Sep 2, 2017
Total posts
620
Awards
2
BR
Chips
301
Yes I bluff but I use the semi-bluff more!
 
s0ftdumps

s0ftdumps

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Apr 13, 2020
Total posts
314
CA
Chips
130
if you aren't bluffing at least some percentage of the time, then:
a) you are leaving chips on the table for others;
b) you will not go as far in tourneys
c) if you've admitted it above (or below), you'd better change as I'll add this to your player notes and it is going to hurt you even more.

But bluffing takes several forms.
- There are the "out and out bluffs" which is basically having nothing of value for showdown. These are sometimes called stone-cold bluffs as they have zero equity.
- There is the C-bet bluffs where you haven't hit, but have a decent enough hand to continue , but are not necessarily leading post flop...you're essentially bluffing on the hope that your opponent has not connected on the flop.
- There is the semi-bluff where you're betting, but without top/nutty hand
- Finally you have your oppoprtunistic bluff, which is less dependent on your hole cards, and simply more focussed on specific opponents you are pushing out of the pot. Its considered opportunistic because you are making a move based on the specific villain.

As a person on the other side...if you play straight-forward only, then you are going to be giving up on pots where your equity is higher than the person taking it down. Further, you set yourself up for being exploited by opportunistic bluffs.

My view is that if you never get caught bluffing, you're not bluffing enough.
And when you DO get caught. You have now primed your opponents to be suspicious. This can increase your value when you tighten up post-catch-out and increase your bet sizing. You'll get more callers, more chips.

What one must make sure they avoid is bluffing in non-sensical spots. You don't try to bluff a fish/call-station. you don't go bluffing the nit who hasn't played for 15 hands and has all of a sudden woken up and is betting when AAK hit the flop.

Sometimes you need to set up your bluffs to be able to pull them off. Fopr example, bluffing that you've hit a straight or flush is a lot easier if you have been C-Betting prior to the bluff. It makes it look like you're slowly building a pot on a strong draw. It's more useful to do this on flush draw boards as these are quite obvious to your opponent. Doing it with straight draws works too, but straight draws might be more likely to simply go unnoticed by villain, especially if they are very gappy.

At any rate....the long and the short of it is -- all the best poker players bluff. Bluffing might not make you the best, but you'll never be the best if you don't learn how to do it properly.

Cheers,
JT

PS -- I over-bluff...so what do I know!?!
Absolutely agree! Bluffing is an essential part of the game—it keeps opponents guessing and adds a layer of unpredictability to your play. Not only does it help in accumulating chips by keeping others on their toes, but it's a key factor in advancing further in tournaments. The psychological aspect of the game is just as crucial as the cards in your hand. Thanks for the reminder, and let's keep those bluffs well-timed and effective.
 
Veralt

Veralt

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Dec 15, 2023
Total posts
187
Awards
1
AR
Chips
202
Yes, of course.
I believe it's necessary to do it from time to time, otherwise, you would only play when you've connected. But I always encounter a problem, I come across people of all kinds, some who play much better than me, others who play much worse. Typically, to bluff, you need to represent a certain hand or range. The thing is, you might represent something different for each person, depending on their skill level and other factors. For some people, it makes sense to play a hand in a certain way that, for others, does not. Therefore, the matter of representing something becomes subjective and very complicated.
 
O

odonob

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Total posts
886
Awards
1
Chips
437
I would bluff towards the latter stages of a tournament mainly. Try and build a stack first and then use a big stack so that bluffs become easier to do.
 
C

Comboss599

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Feb 5, 2019
Total posts
1,093
Awards
2
Chips
200
I think every player bluffs. Bluffing is the one of part of this game, so why not.
 
Dimidrol2

Dimidrol2

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Nov 22, 2022
Total posts
653
Awards
1
BY
Chips
324
Bluffing in poker is a part of the game and if you use it correctly, it sometimes brings more than fair play. Of course, it is not worth abusing, for me it is very evident from the game.
 
Andyreas

Andyreas

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
May 25, 2022
Total posts
12,103
Awards
8
DE
Chips
1,138
If you never bluff, you're the easiest player to play against:
  • Whenever you bet, people can easily fold.
  • Whenever you don't bet, they know you have nothing and can bluff you out of the pot.
The goal of poker is to play unpredictable and mix your strategy.
 
s0ftdumps

s0ftdumps

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Apr 13, 2020
Total posts
314
CA
Chips
130
I would bluff sparingly. You do need to however repent strength at latter stages of a tournament, for example at a final table. When you play and see other players at the final deep stages of a tournament you can bet that half the time they do not have the hands they represent. This is the game really. Early doors in a tournament bluffs are less likely to be a good strategy.
Indeed, bluffing becomes more strategic as the tournament progresses, especially when players are more cautious and selective with their hands. At the early stages, players are typically looser, and bluffing may not be as effective due to the higher likelihood of opponents calling with weaker hands.

However, as the field narrows down and players become more cautious about risking their chips, bluffing can be a powerful tool to assert dominance and pressure opponents into folding stronger hands. It requires a keen understanding of opponents' tendencies, table dynamics, and your own image at the table.
 
Four Dogs

Four Dogs

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 13, 2005
Total posts
4,328
Awards
1
Chips
75
Yes, I'm one of "those people".
 
Youvraj365

Youvraj365

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Apr 6, 2023
Total posts
478
Awards
2
MU
Chips
458
yes, for sure did it many times.
 
Top