Pocket Bullets Paris
Last nite I was in a friendly $20 buy-in poker tournament in which I took 2nd. After the game, one of the newbie players asked me one of the most basic questions in poker. He asked “when is it a good time to bluff?” I gave him a couple of tips and after thanking me and patting me on the back for taking second place he left.
I thought about his question and decided that although it has been a topic on many “How To Play Poker” books I would take a stab at it and post it for all our followers.
Best times to bluff:
- Bluff if you only have one other player still at the table.
- Hit it hard if the board cards or the cards you have showing allow you to represent a winning hand.
- Your image at the table is that you are a very strong player.
- If you are in late position and no one has represented any kind of strong hand.
- If you can read your opponents and you really believe that they will fold to your bet or raise.
But you have to tread carefully through the bluffing canyons or you could slip and fall pretty heavily. You really need to try to read your opponents and specially pick up on how they played any of their winning hands.
There are very definite times when you should not bluff:
Worst times to bluff:
- If you know of any player that is still in the hand and you know that he will always call even when he has nothing. When you meet a player like this it’s best to let him or her shoot themselves in the foot!
- If one of the players has raked in a huge pile of poker chips and he can easily cover your bet or raise without much damage to him. Stay away, play it safe!
- If the table still has a lot of player in it. Don’t do it!