Bluffing is well known to everyone of course, but is it really profitable how to bluff against real poker players.
Bluffing is simply making the other players at the table believe that the hand you have is very strong and will beat them for sure, it will force them to fold.
What makes a bluff successful and win you? Well for that there are several elements to take into account before trying the bluff. Your image, your opponents, the betting history of this game, your position at the table, your bet amount and your hand value.
All the success of your bluff goes through your opponents. If they fold, you pick up the pot and your bluff has worked. If on the contrary they follow you and bet you lose; your bluff failed.
How to take precedence over them, and influence their behavior. There are many different types of poker players, some will be easier to bluff than others. What is certain is that it is better to be pitted against only one opponent when bluffing, so a head to head. It’s easier to bluff a good player than a bad one, a tight player than a loose player. Indeed a good player will ask himself questions, why you bet so much, what is your strategy, are you bluffing, etc … on the other hand a bad one who has no strategy and only plays according to his hand risks to charge without even ask yourself any question.
Play history during the game is also important. A player who is lucky or has the game and luck will be more inclined to follow you, than a player who has just suffered several losses (that makes it fatalistic). On the other hand, a player on the edge of the ko will be ready to update his stack to follow you, he has nothing to do with it.
The impression you give is one of the keys to a successful bluff. If you are a player who seems rigorous, tight, does not go on adventures and does not take unmeasured risks, your bluff is very likely to work. On the other hand, if you give the image of a rather “mad dog” player, your opponents will have an easier time following you, and you will lose your bluff.
The amount of your bluff is also important, beginners tend to believe that putting a big bet your opponent will fold. This is a mistake, on the contrary you just have to bet the amount that you think will cause him to fold without him realizing the bluff. You don’t have to go all-in when you’re bluffing, you might quit the table more often than you think.
There is a time for bluffing, if you are a beginner avoid bluffing, or set a maximum for example one bluff per game. Bluffing requires knowledge of the game, the stakes, and the opponents which require many games to be acquired.
