Rivered.co.uk
Rivered.co.uk is your one stop shop for everything poker!
Rivered's aim is to stop you getting rivered. We aim to do this by providing you with
articles and information online and also by telling you what poker books and videos/dvd's
you should watch/read in order to improve your game and stop that dreaded river!
Rivered Poker Article
How Should You Bluff in Poker?
Beginners at poker know that bluffing is a part of the game. They may not realize there are many other skills that make up a great poker player, but they know they have to know how to bluff. While bluffing may not be as important an element as television and movies would suggest, a player foraying into the world of poker should know how to do it successfully.So, how Should You Bluff in Poker?
Setting up a Poker Bluff
It’s important to set up your bluff. Let us say you’ve been betting into a flop of 8s Ts 3c, bet again when a 4c comes on the turn and then make a huge bet when the 9c comes on the river. You are going to have a hard time convincing anybody you made a club flush, since you were betting from the flop, when a club flush was highly unlikely.On the other hand, if you check called the same flop and turn, and then bet big or raised when a 9s came on the river, you have a much better chance of taking down the pot. You very well might have been calling all the way with a spade flush draw.
Reading Your Poker Opponents
When trying to bluff in a poker game, it’s important to size up your opponents. A loose, deep-stacked player who seems to be calling everything is not a good candidate for bluffing. A very tight player is a good one to bluff early, but if he’s still around later in the hand, he probably has something strong.Best of all is the calling station who likes to see cards but never plays back at you unless he has a big hand. This player is a great candidate for bluffing.
Bluff With Confidence
When you do bluff, try to convince yourself that you have the hand you are trying to represent. There’s no need to overact, simply imagine what you would do if you really did have the monster hand and try to behave the same way. It’s called acting.Remember that it’s usually very bad to bluff in an environment where players don’t like to fold, such as in freeroll poker tournaments or games at the micro levels.
