Just The Facts!

Using Bluffs in Other Ways in Poker

The reason why a lot of professional Poker players use the bluff is that it is one of the most versatile tools in the game. Although people usually play it in just one way -calling with a weak hand- there are other ways it can be deployed.

As an example, the bluff can be used when you misread an opponent's hand or intention.

You are in middle position holding pocket pairs (66). The Poker player under the gun makes a raise, and you call it. The flop is a 10,9,5. You miss the flop, and your opponent makes a bet. Because the cards are low and you are holding a pair of sixes, you raise him, thinking that the wager was just a continuation bet. But to your surprise he re raises you.

In this instance, the Poker bluff will help. You call him. The turn is a 7, and the other player checks. The best move you can make now is to go all in. If you do this, your opponent will fold. Why? Because he will think that you have gotten the straight. You could have easily been holding a J8, and the fact is that is a hand that a lot of middle players play with.

The advantage of having a position over your Poker opponent is evident here. Even if he had flopped a set, he would have no idea if it was the best hand or not, because you will act later. If you were in an earlier spot, then you cannot risk making such a bluff.

While the above Poker strategy is useful in loose aggressive games, using the bluff in the form of the continuation bet is more preferable in tight tables. Here you will be able to get the other players on the table to fold their hand just by displaying strength. In this case, it will also help if you display some flexibility and variance in your game.

Before you utilize the bluff, it would be a good idea to set yourself Poker game up for such an attempt. What this means is that you will need to play in a tight aggressive fashion. You need to show the other players that you are not the type who will raise all kinds of hands.

Bluffing is one of the easiest techniques to learn, but learning all the ways to utilize it will take a long time to master. The key is to just keep playing the game, and you will discover many ways in which this Poker strategy can help you win.