Is bluffing a skill?

[scubed]

after several times folding my winning hands I found bluff seems a necessary technique, which i am not quite good at.

I remember a hand about 2 years ago. I went to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I misread my cards, I had KcQs.

A third spade hit on the turn. I, wrongly, thought I had the flush. I was OOP and betting it hard and with confidence. A gentleman laid down a set of fives.

As I folded, I looked back at my cards. I was so surprised that I did not have a flush. I misread my cards! Very lucky hand.

I was bluffing with the worst had ON ACCIDENT! This shows how important the scenario of the hand is... my bluff story was believable.

 

[57noona]

Yup...It's a talent..

I agree it is a talent.

 

[GoSplat678]

bluffing is absolutely a skill. If you can get a good read on what someone is holding and its something you feel you can make them put down then the right sized bluff in the right place can make all the difference

 

[Drogba_Legend]

good point. here comes a question: what's the difference between skill and talent? skill can be learned but talent can't?

Something like that. I think skill is a product of trainings, learning and gaining experience.
Talent is like a birthday gift.

Maybe I'm wrong and you must have talent for bluffing successfully, but I think you can train almost anything including ability to bluff :biggrin:

 

[bon2great]

If you do not bluff from time to time, you are not a poker player. You need to know when to do it, against who, and for what stake.

I agree. If you only win by good cards you will be losing.

 

[Rui Ferreira]

I do not like to bluff much, but there's time to improvise
But a blefer is a skill

 

[Adi8877]

even if it is, I don't have it, and never will have

 

[Das4ever]

I must admit that bluffing takes some skills. I mean everyone can do it but not everyone succed with it but when you win pot with bluff you fell so good.

 

[Shep15jon]

Bluffing isn’t cheating!!!

It is a skill, yes. Which is why a lot of people get caught out and lose chips (if they aren’t skilled at it).

You have to be good with your odds & probabilities, be very good at reading people, be a good actor, portray confidence, get your bet sizing and timing right, be aware of your table position, be aware of chips in play, be aware of others chip-stacks, be aware of habits of other players, be aware of your own table image, and have great timing.

Only when you do ALL of that very well will you benefit from bluffing every now and again. But not too often! (another skill).

 

[malaka]

yes,bluff is big poker skill,you heve to learn blufing and the bluff caching efect

 

[alfiyka]

I understand and respect players who use bluffing.Each player evaluates his own cards and decides to bluff.But I do not understand those players who each hand put the entire bankroll ,regardless of the card on hand.They expect to win.It is very hard for me to play with such people

 

[rigor mortis]

Bluffing is definately NOT a talent. If it were you would be successful every time you used it. Bluffing is putting false information into your opponent's head to make him think you have better than you hold

 

[donkey2019]

point noted. but?

Bluffing is definately NOT a talent. If it were you would be successful every time you used it. Bluffing is putting false information into your opponent's head to make him think you have better than you hold

but how many times are you at the final table in the BB position where the SB is the only one left to act and you notice them raise or go all in just so that they can steal a big pot

and it has always been a part of poker because all in all you know what you have but unless you call or they show you will never know what they have.

and if say for instance you had As Kd an the flop was

Ac Kc 2c and the turn was a 3h and the river was the Qc

the how likely are you to believe that your opponent doesnt have a club in their hand if he pushes all in?

what is the chances of you calling if it could possibly end the tournament for you?

and then theres that time where you would fold and the donk shows you a 2d jd

#not_that_i_have_done_this lolol

 

[tw082]

depends on how good u are, definitely a skill to those skilled in the art. but a liability to those attempting without the proper skills to do so. in my opinion takes way more skill than having the better cards, if u dont think so probably cus ur not good at detecting or initiating the bluff.. pokers kinda like a game of bullshit at times one person says i have that nut and the other calls bullshit or doesnt. i love it..bluffing only way to stay alive during a dead card run....great thing bout a good bluff game u never have a dead run...just bet n if they push bak fold as if u had 2nd NUT. :dancing2:

 

[HaroldHouse]

In tournaments if you dont steal blinds occassionaly you will most of the time get blinded out when blinds get big. As aggressive as poker players are now some bluffs are required. Pick the right time and the right board texture. Open ended and 4 flush type hands are good for bluffs. You have a chance to hit so you have some impplied odds. Pick your spot, your opponent, and the right board.

 

[chronical]

Well define bluff for me?
IMHO - yes. Just 3 barreling is not a bluff. Bluff takes action/possition/board texture so... =)

 

[wlad20082009]

Bluff. Bluffing is an art . This is understanding against whom and when to bluff . This is the vision and understanding of the game at the moment . No bluff no poker !

 

[cranberry]

I think bluffing is a skill. Applying a bluff is easier against a good player who understands the game. Against calling stations and loose players, bluffing must be done carefully.

 

[WiredKs]

You also have to consider the story of the hand. Sometimes you can ‘feel’ when someone has just given up on the hand. Unless they’re prone to calling with anything, take a stab at the pot.

 

[izpanol]

By itself it is not a skill, since it depends a lot on position and stack management (which are skills), but to dominate your bluff so that your opponents do not mark you as a recurring liar and take advantage of you, that's what it's a skill

 

[georgi krastev]

Yes. I agree .

 

[jsteppps]

Of course it's a skill!! It shows an understanding of ranges and your opponent. Some of the other comments above talk about timing. True, you need to judge your spots. Another part to that is if you bluff alot you can find "ways" of getting paid much more frequently with your value hands as you're a known bluffer lol

It's a balancing act of your play style and what works for you.

 

[Jdjakubisin]

Bluffing is definitely an art. I think the key is setting up the bluff with past hands. It is all about the set up.

That's almost exactly the way I would put it. You build a strong table image playing solid hands and then take advantage of it at opportune times.

 

[Izfensina]

Bluffing is the supreme art of Poker if you master this technique you win extra pots and get an ev+ just avoid calling stations and build your table image before starting to bluff.

 

[maksonios]

Yes, bluffing is a skill, because you have to know when and how to do this.