I love poker, but I suck at bluffing. WHAT DO I DO?

[Eminescu99]

Negreanu vs Shlomi >> negreanu read shlomi and what bluff gave in this video look at 3:00-3:-3:05 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO6WfD4AB3c

 

[maik357]

Stick to what you are good at and lay off the bluff game

 

[Arjonius]

Since inexperienced players tend to think in terms of big bluffs, I'll assume that's the case with here. At the entry levels, such bluffs shouldn't be a big part of your game. At these levels, it's waaaay more important simply to make fewer poor and questionable decisions than your opponents than to bluff or otherwise outplay them.

So, if you never make big bluffs until you've learned to play decently, you won't meaningfully affect your learning curve. Indeed, you may well improve faster.

 

[Mase31683]

Play really tight, then raise preflop with 72o and barrel three streets. Virtually any thinking player is going to lay down unless they have a monster. And now you're a professional bluffer, can't say it'd be optimal play though.

 

[Robert131313]

First of all you need to concentrate,,,,and to make your game more quite,,,,,then for example....i got A A MY OPONENT ??
ON BOARD A J 3
I checked My oponent raised then i called
then...
A J 3 A ....
I checked again my oponent raised
then.......A J 3 2 A
I GO ALL IN CUZ ))))
MY OPONENT TOO
HE GOT
J J
AND HE TOUGH THAT ITS IMPOSSIBLE ME TO HAVE A A/OR A A A ...OR EVEN A A A A
THATS ALL BECAUSE I CHECKED,,,,BUT I ALREADY HAVE A GREAT HAND!!!ALL U NEED IS CONCENTRATE,,,AND MAKE UR OPONENT TO THINK THAT UOR bluffing ,,,,(AT THAT MOMENT U GOT STRONG HAND) BUT HE DONT KNOW)))

 

[shipitfish]

One of the things I typically do is I don't really think about "bluffing" as bluffing in the following sense:

I simply consider the range of hands my opponent has, and think about how likely it is that my opponent will fold. In my mind, I don't really "bluff", because I'm making a bet under the assumption that my opponent folds.

I realize this might seem silly on the surface, but the mindset change can help with giving off tells in live games: I'm not betting my hand, I'm betting that I think the opponent will fold.

(That said, you'll need to have a backup plan for when the opponent calls, but start with the former an build the latter).

I do however agree with other posters that in most loose games with friends, bluffing is rarely needed.

 

[arizoney]

there is definitely an art to bluffing it has its place. i find it harder to use at the low limits cause you will find calling stations there more so than the high stakes. strategy is key to any bluff remember if it doent make sense you cant sell it and you have to sell a bluff for it to work.

 

[skiptomyloot]

follow up on probes, behavior and getting information out of the people you play. Every player is a story teller .. IF your going to tell your story, make sure its believable. meaning make sure that your bluff is gonna stick to the story your telling.

 

[gundacker]

Get yourself a ski mask.

 

[Mordecoke]

Another tip I didn't see on here if you plan on bluffing. DON'T EVER TALK TO THE OPPONENT! ....that is all.

 

[nsinalis11]

Bluffs is very dangerous game to do,but you can bluff when you have a big amount of money to a player ho is under you, the most times these bluffs wins but its better to do it with good hands.

 

[nsinalis11]

Bluffs is very dangerous game to do,but you can bluff when you have a big amount of money to a player ho is under you, the most times these bluffs wins but its better to do it with good hands.

 

[love that omaha]

You can start with playing stronger starting hands that are more likely to connect. Then think about how you played the hand from pre flop on to the river - did you truly represent a strong hand or was your story inconsistent? When you fold a hand are you trying to put the other players on a hand or a range of hands, watching to see if certain physical tells mean strength or weakness. You have to combine telling a consistent story with reading the other players in the pot. Also do you bet size yr strong hands and bluffs equally?

 

[bluejay2220]

In order for a bluff to work it should make sense. You also want to pick your spots. Though, getting called on a bluff isnt necessarily a bad thing, it can help later. Mix it up, play hands differently, you want to confuse people to get them to call you, and to get them not calling you.

 

[bnasp2]

First of all you need to concentrate,,,,and to make your game more quite,,,,,then for example....i got A A MY OPONENT ??
ON BOARD A J 3
I checked My oponent raised then i called
then...
A J 3 A ....
I checked again my oponent raised
then.......A J 3 2 A
I GO ALL IN CUZ ))))
MY OPONENT TOO
HE GOT
J J
AND HE TOUGH THAT ITS IMPOSSIBLE ME TO HAVE A A/OR A A A ...OR EVEN A A A A
THATS ALL BECAUSE I CHECKED,,,,BUT I ALREADY HAVE A GREAT HAND!!!ALL U NEED IS CONCENTRATE,,,AND MAKE UR OPONENT TO THINK THAT UOR BLUFFING ,,,,(AT THAT MOMENT U GOT STRONG HAND) BUT HE DONT KNOW)))

Honestly, this is not example of bluffing, or some good game.
Anyone can win with quads against full house, or as on flop, set vs smaller set.
This is not the spot you win money in long term. Because honestly, when you would be on the other end, would it end any way different? Would you fold set of jacks and full house on river?

 

[bnasp2]

For low level home game:
- First dont bluff at all, do proper value betting
- only when you see that opponents starts to fold a lot to your value bets, thats when you need to add some bluffs.
- more important, focus on detecting you opponents bluffs and some proper bluff catching

Of course, without at least some basic poker face, you are lost. Probably dont try to be smarter then you opponents and send some false tells. Just do the same every time, same face, same bet sizing.

 

[JKawai]

I am by no means an expert (only played 3500 hands and started 2 weeks ago) but I think bluffing has its place particularly in the lower level games and when you can identify the timid players, particularly rocks, who are likely to fall for the bluffs.

I sometimes bluff on BTN to steal the blinds, depending on the timidity of the players, and it works most of the time especially if I have seen a fair few hands of theirs and gauged their behaviour. I sometimes bluff when any premium card appears because it looks like I connect with it (providing it makes sense in the narrative of the hand, and doesn't look like a donk bet), particularly if there is a pair on the board to make it look like I'm drawing to a full house... timing is also important I think, as well as bet sizing. Slowplaying in itself is a form of bluffing. I find if you have a made hand, even checking is necessary to keep timid players in the game, even a call can scare them off. All of that is bluffing. So I think it's highly relevant, from what I've observed so far. But that is in low stakes games, it's probably completely different in the bigger games. Also I have learnt that completely blank bluffs just do not work. As in, I think if you're going to bluff, have a reason to play to begin with that isn't just bluffing. So perhaps make the bluffing a second resort after you actually try to go for a draw of some kind. I find cold bluffs with no other reason to play never work, ever, because those with the actual hands will always just raise the hell out of you (and for good reason)

For what it's worth... (nothing probably)

 

[okeedokalee]

I don't regard stealing blinds a bluff.To me it is a positional play.Bluffing is when you know you have a worse hand but shape a bet to force a better hand to fold.

 

[tothbopo]

First of all if you want to improve you must start playing your own cards, play tight and keep the patience.

Bluffing is a very hard thing to do and you can absolutly not do it by every hand.

When you bluff you must first convince yourself that you can go through with it or just dont.

 

[kefir]

if you play a home game with your buddies, forget bluffing. You don't need it. Just like in the nanolimits. You need ABC poker. May be it is not so exiting, but
that is what makes money in this games.

 

[Rain92]

Given it's one of your first posts and you likely are quite new to poker and playing in games where the players are probably quite bad, then I have to tell you bluffing is a waste of time for the most part especially if the players are bad enough that they won't fold.

In general, bluffing should be at a minimum in tournaments vs bad players because a basic strong ABC game is enough to win where bluffing isn't needed. I feel you probably watch poker on TV and see players bluffing but it really is a small part of the game until you get to a level where players are thinking about hand ranges. My guess is, they probably aren't at the minute at the level you're playing.

Don't bluff, just play solid good poker.

Yes I agree with this is because many fishes think that their top pair or even overcards at times is good to play. They get oblivious to other possibilities and will play you till the end. Think of it this way, when you have a real hand you can suck them for all its worth.

 

[JKawai]

if you play a home game with your buddies, forget bluffing. You don't need it. Just like in the nanolimits. You need ABC poker. May be it is not so exiting, but
that is what makes money in this games.

Dyou think? I think with nanolimits you go stale if you don't shake things up and bluff occasionally. The above poster is correct though that it doesn't work on fish

 

[JKawai]

Also, to quote David Sklansky -

[...] bluffs are an important part of a player's game. If you never bluff, your opponents will always know you have a legitimate hand when you bet. They will be likely to play correctly on the basis of what you have in your hand, which is to their advantage and your disadvantage, according to the Fundamental Theorem of Poker.

If you play 'solid poker' you're just too obvious. Everybody folds to rocks' raises.

Also a bluff, even if it ultimately fails and you get called, can then be regarded as 'fog' to make your playing style more difficult to deduce.

 

[VizziVizo]

Rules are elementary.For successfully bluff its have to be less than 4 players in game,and perspective hand.

 

[gus201]

From reading the main post here I would have to say its not the not bluffing thats keeping you from winning . Its the predictability of always having a hand when betting or just checking. Its being too tight as well , or maybe you call too much then fold a lot . Either way your being predictable and you may need to start betting say your draws or a board that is dry to those that have entered .

I think I am close to your style of play there . if you can get some bets that would be a semi bluff like betting 2 nd best ....etc and so on. One thing to remember dont tell any one what you have if they fold or if you fold this way they have to guess. As long as they fold or you fold if you bet on earlier streets some of the time, they dont know if you bluffed or had the better hand .
good skill on the tables