All in or fold? The concept of bluffing can be very easy or very difficult one to master. There are many ways to grasp this concept of bluffing, but that does not mean it will always be successful. Bluffing can reward you or demolish you. When playing free poker online is one thing, but if playing real money, I would be extra careful when it comes to bluffing. I will discuss my ideas and concepts of bluffing in no limit Texas holdem poker.
Although a lot of bluffing comes down to judgment and instincts there is still an awful lot you can learn. The 1st example of bluffing amounts to the majority of play: if your instincts kick in after an opponents checks from the flop, turn or river then you can gamble high. A great example of this when playing an opponent heads up. If there are only 2 players and you're holding a top pair or top kickers- you have a brilliant chance of winning. I will explain why; your opponent only has 2 cards from the pack the same as you meaning the chances are small. If bluffing a heads up opponent, just ensure you have done your research and understand this type of player, so you know when the correct time to bluff is.
A clever way of thinking when deciding on bluffing or not is not what you can win but what is at stake if you lose. Bluffing is the 'red herring' of poker as there is no way to master this skill, even the pros would be in agreement that they're still struggling making calls on whether to bluff or not. Additionally as the level of opponent becomes more superior you may find an opponent bluffs bluffing!! For instance when an opponent is slow playing it's very difficult to understand their strategy and if whether they are bluffing. When bluffing in free poker you shouldn't take a cavalier attitude and play out of hand. Although you're not losing money out of your back pocket you're not improving as a player.
Third, another concept of bluffing is the persistent value bet method. During this method, you are betting on nothing from the flop all the way to the river hoping they will fold if they have chased their hand. If you bet the same amount on the flop and turn but bet a little higher on the river with your bluffing hand, the other person is most likely to fold their hand to you. But again, this does not always have the same outcome every time.
Finally, my favorite part of bluffing is when you try to produce a bet that seems like a bluff, but is not. The best bluff bet is the famous all in or the bet pot. Also, if you are playing with the same group of players on a regular basis, you can change up your style by betting an amount they would not expect. The best way to get as much as you can get from someone out of a hand is to simply call all the way and go all in on the river, hopefully they will think you missed what you were chasing and they will call.
In parting I trust you have a better idea of bluffing and how a simple concept has many levels, and these levels split the world of poker. It's one thing to be a decent poker player and another to be a decent bluffer. It takes a certain amount of time to know if you're good at bluffing or just have a considerable amount of beginners luck. The bottom line is bluffing will only get you so far and whether your playing money games or free poker; just remember only bluff what you can afford to lose.
Nick, originally from the UK now lives in Sweden with wife Lena, 2 daughters and a Border Terrier called Gunnar. He is Marketing Manager for free poker games site NoPayPOKER and publishes free online poker tips videos on Youtube as well as running free poker tips blogs where you can learn about poker and find out more about free online poker sites. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Moseley |
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