Poker Strategy – The Art of Bluffing

The art of bluffing truly is an art when it comes to playing poker. Any good poker strategy should involve some level of bluffing. The “Art” of bluffing is attained when a player knows exactly how and when to pull it off.

This article on the art of bluffing is not only intended to teach poker players How to Bluff, but how to defend against a bluff as well. Will start with the defensive side of the coin.

There are 3 kinds of poker players when it comes to bluffing:

1. Those that NEVER Bluff.
2. Those that Occasionally Bluff.
3. Those that Bluff Often.

Can you guess which is the most dangerous? If you said #2, “those that bluff occasionally”, you’re right. An occasional bluffer is very difficult to figure out, because you simply never know when they are bluffing; unless of course they have distinct Poker Tells to give it away. However, a good bluffer is usually experienced enough to avoid displaying tells, so don’t count on that.

Players that never bluff: A player that never bluffs is the tightest player of all. If they move on to the flop, rest assured, they have a premium hand to back it up.

Players that bluff too often are the easiest targets. When you notice a player is bluffing often, call them every time. They are playing minimal hands on a regular basis, and you will win more times than you lose. If you suspect someone to be bluffing often, you will simply have to call them to find out.

Now for the good stuff…

Learning the Art of Bluffing

Obviously, the goal is to become the “Occasional Bluffer”. When you are known to bluff some, but not all, of the time, you become the most dangerous type of opponent. You may be betting on a pat hand, or you may be bluffing with 2-7 off-suit. You opponents will fear your raise, making them much more likely to Fold the pot to you.

There is a basic rule of them to pulling off a Bluff for the occasional bluffer. If the pot is low, you are more likely to be called. In the same token, if the pot is too high, someone is going to be willing to risk a call in order to get their fingers on it.

The best bluff is pulled off on a mid-sized pot, when players are too cautious to risk their own chips, but not invested so much that they are willing to take the chance.

Follow the poker strategy guidelines above and you’ll master the art of bluffing in no time.