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Bluffing |
MT Tournament Strategy |
Position |
Glossary
Bluffing is a double edged-sword and like all double edged-swords you don’t want to get cut by it. You are free to bluff at any time but so are your opponents.
Timing is the secret to bluffing, and you will only know if it was the right time afterwards.
Besides your cards there are many other factors which will influence your bluff such as the size of your chip stack and those of your opponents, your position and the position of your opponents, the personality of your opponents, the stage of the game and the stage of the hand.
When should you bluff?
- Up against tight players - Some players are so tight they get scared away like a mouse as soon as anyone bets, that is unless they have the nuts.
- Missing the river - If your opponents were looking for the flush or straight and missed it then the hand is basically yours with a bet of any size.
- A pre-flop bet which misses - Everyone is expecting you to take control, and if you “check it” this shows you missed the flop. The only thing worse than this is letting everyone know you missed it. You have to value up if saving face is worth more than losing a lot of chips.
- Hot hand - You’re on a hot streak with a few big wins in a row. No one will want to mess with you while you are on a roll.
- Steal the blinds You can win a small pot made up of your opponents’ blinds by getting your opponents to fold.
- Late in the game and with a nice stack The players with short stacks are scared to commit to playing especially when the blinds are a big amount of what they have left.
When shouldn’t you bluff?
- Not clued in yet Don’t start until you have a feel for your opponents.
- The others expect it - If you have lost a few hands already due to bluffing your opponents could be slow-playing you to wait for your next one. You don’t want to be known as the guy who goes all in pre-flop with 5-2.
- Low-limit game - With so little at stake everyone is happy to call you.
- Facing overpairs, straight and flush draws - If there is an Ace on the table and you don’t have one most likely someone else does. Don’t bet the farm on your pair of Jacks just yet. If there are four spades on the table someone most likely has one as well. The same advice is applicable to the straight draw.
- A populated hand - Someone most likely has something and could flop something even better.
- Against lesser likes - Some guys will call everyone and once in a while they will get lucky at your expense.
- On tilt - After losing a big hand, regroup and get your focus back. Don’t chuck it all on a ‘Hail Mary’ attempt to win.
When is your opponent bluffing?
- He misses the flop and is trying to bluff you - You don’t know for sure he missed the flop so are going on intuition. Re-raise him and see what he does.
- He wants to steal the pot - He is playing late and everyone has checked. He wants to steal the pot so don’t be afraid to call him if you have something.
To bluff or not to bluff is a tough question that every poker player has to ask himself. The answer is not easy, but remember that the most important aspect to bluffing is that you should do it cautiously. Make sure to understand why you want to bluff during that particular hand. Remember, though no matter how much thought you put into your decision to bluff, there is always the possibility that you will run into a huge hand. As long as you are confident in yourself, you will be able to bluff successfully.
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