Bluffing

Bluffing is a very important part of any poker game. It is one of the hardest but most fundamental aspects of poker. A bluff is a bet or a raise made with a hand that has no chance of winning. Weak players are harder to bluff than strong ones. The purpose of a bluff is to win a pot when your hand is not strong enough to do so on it’s own. They'll call. Strong players won't call as many bluffs, unless they have very strong cards or have you figured out by your "tells". Bluffing is an art form, and no poker player can rise above the level of mediocrity without some semblance of a bluffing game. To master the art of bluffing is to know when to bluff, when not to bluff, when to bluff a bluff, and who to bluff against.

You are essentially representing a big hand when in reality you have nothing. Without a doubt, if you do not bluff in poker, there is no way you can be a successful poker player. That being said, bluffing is no small task, as it requires good poker sense, timing and guts to pull it off. It can be frightening, scary and embarrassing when you are caught, but equally exciting and rewarding when you get away with it. Bluffing is a very valuable weapon to have in your poker arsenal but you should make sure you use it correctly and don’t overuse it.

• It almost goes without saying that a nonsense player who can’t hide his emotions will get wiped out if he tries to bluff around experienced players.
• You cannot bluff an entire table as it’s unlikely that you will get away with a bluff against four or more other players; one or two of them are bound to stay in just so you don’t win the pot uncontested.
• Beware the better bluffer as the other persons at the table will be doing the same thing.
• Do not get feared as you get to the showdown, and your bluff is revealed for all to see.