How to Bluff in Texas Hold'em
Learn the basics of bluffing and win hands with terrible cards!
Knowing how to bluff is an important part of winning in poker. Bluffing can be especially effective online, where you don't have to worry about having a poker face. The point of bluffing is to win pots that you have no chance of winning with your cards. Good bluffing skills come in handy if you have been getting terrible cards and are tired of other people taking your ante. When you do it right, profits from bluffing can add up to a lot of money. I have seen players win hundreds of dollars in just a couple hours, because the know the right time to bluff. In other words, by knowing how to bluff, these people have won hands with terrible cards. Remember, this doesn't include the gains they made from having good hands!
Bluffing in Limit Hold'em can be tricky because you can only raise a set amount, which sometimes makes it difficult to scare opponents out of the hand. If you're playing at a $1/$2 table, raising that extra $2 on the last card to make your opponents fold is futile. Although knowing how to bluff in Limit Hold'em seems difficult, knowing a few things about how to do it will make the task extremely easy. Anybody can bluff and get away with it in Limit Hold'em, as long as they know what they are doing. Here are a few tips to help you bluff and win.
When Should You Bluff?
When you bluff, you need bet in a way or in an amount that will scare your opponent out of the hand. Because Limit Hold'em only allows you to bet or raise a set amount in each round of betting, this can make it difficult to scare someone out of a hand. For example, if you play at a $1/$2 stakes table, raising an extra dollar or two will make very few people fold. Usually, the people playing at the lower stakes tables love to call if they have anything (even the lowest pair) because most people who play for less money have less skill. Therefore, try to bluff rarely at the lower priced tables (once every 10 hands). Remember, you are playing with less skilled players, and there are other ways to take advantage of these low stakes players even if you're a beginner yourself (See: Texas Hold'em Getting Started Tips).
Once you begin to play at higher stakes tables such as $5/$10, knowing how to bluff almost becomes a necessity. Raising an extra $5 or $10 can definitely make players think about folding over the cards and letting you take the pot. Therefore, you can bluff more often at the higher priced tables, about once every five hands.
Knowing and Playing Your Opponent
Knowing your opponent is extremely important in Texas Hold'em, especially if you want to bluff. Every time you play at a table, always watch how your opponent bets. Look for trends and changes in your opponents betting strategies. If you see that your opponent bets every time he catches a two pair or better, then you have a much better idea of where you stand. Likewise, if you watch a person bet on the turn card every time he has nothing, then you know you have him right where you want him next time around. If you have trouble reading your opponents, don't worry. It takes a lot of experience to see changes in your opponents' betting strategies. Usually, the people who are able to read their opponents well play at the highest price tables. Therefore if you are just starting out, you can still take advantage of the other beginners who don't know the information we are providing. Remember, we want to make it easy for EVERYONE to win. Even if you are a beginner, following this advice immediately gives you an edge over other players.
Playing your opponent is much easier then knowing your opponent. When you first sit down at a table, you must establish trust with your opponents. If you sit down and begin bluffing right away, you will get called and most likely lose the hand. Play conservatively during the first 15 hands. Don't raise or bet too much and always be honest. If you have bad cards get out of the hand. If you play conservatively, you will succeed in gaining your opponents trust. Once this task is accomplished, you can begin to bluff and start winning tons of money, even without having good cards no matter what skill level you may be!
How to Bluff, the Basics
Once you have gained the trust of your opponents, you can now bluff with ease. Remember, when you are playing at lower stakes tables, try to bluff once every ten hands and when you are playing at higher stakes tables, bluff once every five hands. To bluff in Limit Hold'em, the first thing you should do is raise before you see the flop. Raising before you see the flop will not only make your opponents think that you have two high cards or a pocket pair, but it will also make many of them fold if they weren't sure of staying in. There are two options you can take once you see the flop. If there are no high cards, then you should check (unless you pulled a pair) because people think you have only high cards and they won't fold if they think you don't have a pair. If the flop consists of high cards, then bet again because your opponents will think you pulled one of your high pairs and they will most likely fold.
Remember to keep in mind how your opponents have been betting. If they haven't folded after you bet after the flop is revealed, they may be on a flush or straight draw, or have a good hand. This is where your judgment comes into play. It's up to you to decide whether or not you should continue your bluff. Of course you'll get better with experience, but don't be discouraged if it doesn't work every time ... keep at it and you'll be a pro bluffer in no time!
More articles about Texas Hold'em:
Texas Hold'em Getting Started Tips
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