Using Proper Bluffs can Keep your Chip Stack Very High

From what have you probably seen in television, you
might have noticed some great bluffs that made many
doubt if their hands are strong enough (when it truly
is), then throw it away out of fear. It is a skill
that serious poker players have to incorporate into
their game to be successful in poker and stack up the
chip count in the long run.

There are basic bluffs that one really has to do
especially in short-tables and ones that you only do
sparingly that pave the way to the pot.

A Basic Bluff

Technically, this technique is a semi-bluff, but it is
deceptive nonetheless. It makes your opponents believe
that you have the top pair but in reality, you merely
have a drawing hand. Let’s look an example:

You have J-6, both hearts, with four people in the
table. The flop shows A-5-8 with the last two having
hearts as suits. It’s an ugly flop for those holding
face cards except ace and this is an opportunity to
make a good-sized flop of around 2/3 of the pot. You
seem to represent that you have a pair of eights or
aces but you only have the flush draw. In the case
that a suit other than a heart shows up on the turn
card, don’t fold immediately to a bet. See first if
you get sufficient pot odds for calling it. A good
size is 3/5 or below as compared to the size of the
pot. This way, not only do you have an opportunity to
hit a flush, you make sure that it won’t eat up your
stack substantially that it renders you soft and
defenseless.

Advanced Bluffs

These kinds of bluffs usually appear in the latter
stages of the betting round, done when the turn and/or
the river card shows up. It may be a panicked all-in
when you have the nuts or a soft-looking bet in the
river that scares advanced players out their wits
(I’ll explain why later).

First is the jumpy all-in bet. There is a specific
sequence of circumstances that makes this bluff work.
First is that you must raise pre-flop with medium to
low suited connectors like 3-4 diamonds or 6-7 hearts.
The raise, of course, represents something else like
Queens or Jacks. When you hold 6-7 hearts and the flop
shows 4-5-9, with the first two having hearts for a
suit, put down the automatic continuation bet of
around half the pot, showing that you have high face
cards and you seem to believe that the flop didn’t hit
your opponents either. Of course, they will call that
bet. When 8-of-hearts is shown on the turn, then you
have the nut straight flush, beating anyone who holds
a straight. When this happens, don’t just shove your
chips right there. Think for a long while and then go
all-in. This gives off the impression that you have a
set. If anyone has a straight, which is likely because
he/she called a good-sized bet, he/she will call it
given the seeming desperation of your bet.

The second bluff I’ll teach you is the Post-Oak Bluff.
It is very simple; both are bold enough to bet until
the river card shows up, when you make a smallish bet
of around 1/3 of the pot. It seems as if you are
begging him to call you, in an attempt to maximize
your gain. But in truth you only have a weak hand,
trying to outplay your opponent. This bluff only works
for top players, who know the science behind poker
betting.

There is an old adage that says large bets scare the
beginner while small ones frighten the strong ones.
Keep that in mind and you’ll have a good base for your
bluffs, and you’ll win more pots in the long run.