Best Time To Bluff

Bluffing is a good tool to take down extra pots. Inexperienced players usually bluff too often. The act of bluffing is when you try to scare everyone out of the hand with a large bet even though your not holding a solid hand. If not done at the proper time bluffing can cost players a lot of money. Knowing when and when not to bluff separates the good poker players from the bad players. When you bluff you want the other players to think you have the best hand.

Bluffing with a draw hand is called "semi-bluffing", a draw hand is when you have a straight or flush draw. Sometimes you do not even have to make you hand because the other players fold. More pots are won with bad hands than strong hands in poker. Another very important factor when deciding when to bluff is knowing your opponents.

Weak players A.K.A "fish", bluff way too often. For example, weak players will usually go all-in on the flop when they are holding a hand like A-K regardless of how good their hand is. Another common mistake weak players make is bluffing when the other players are "pot committed". Being "pot committed" is when you already have a lot of money in a pot, it sometimes make more sense to call a bet even if you have a weak hand or are going after a draw. You can also use the community cards to help you win a pot. If the river creates a flush draw on the board and you didn't catch the hand you were hoping for a nice size bet may make the other player think you have a flush.

 A smart time to bluff is when you get dealt a hand like A-10 or a pocket pair, you should raise pre-flop. While this isn't actually a bluff it puts you in a good position to bluff after the flop. If there is a weak flop like 2-3-9 than a good bet will most likely win you this pot. If the other player calls your bet on the flop you may want to assume he has at least a pair. Not every bluff is going to work so keep that in mind. Never try to bluff with a majority of your chip stack. In the end knowing the proper time to bluff can be extremely profitable. Also, bluffing at the wrong time or too often is a quick way to lose your bankroll.

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