Bluffing is as important as any other aspect in no limit Texas holdem tournaments. There are a few points I want to highlight that you should be paying attention to when applying your poker bluffs. In this post I will go over:
Reading your opponents
Avoid over/under betting
C-betting
Semi-bluffing
Table image
Calling stations
Reading Your Opponents
Since it is impossible to know exactly what your opponent has at all times, you have to be able to read them and judge how strong they are in the hand. Often times, it is crucial to bluff if your opponent shows weakness. Being able to read your opponent's weakness is extremely important. Sometimes you can win a hand by betting as if you have your opponent beat even if they are the one who truly had the best hand. The trick is to make your opponent think you have a better hand than them. Bluffing is an important aspect of any successful poker player's game. Neither you nor your opponent will flop the "nuts" every hand. You will need to take chances and try to win pots even when you know your beat.
Avoid Over/Under Betting
If your goal is to get your opponent to fold then you have to make sure you don't bet too low. Doing so may give your opponent odds to call based on the fact that calling your bet will not affect his chip stack. If you bet too many chips it may look like you are trying to buy the pot by over betting and your opponent might sense something is up (weakness). When deciding to bluff you can raise with almost anything and bet it out like you hit the flop if you get called. This is known as c-betting the flop. This is a good way to steal blinds late in the tournament. Sometimes it will backfire and you will lose chips when your opponent actually has a hand.
If you flop a draw or something like bottom pair you can semi-bluff. A semi-bluff is also a good way to build a pot with a drawing hand such as a flush or straight draw. If you bet the draws instead of check-calling them, you may be able to take the pot down on the river with a nice sized bluff regardless of if you hit your draw or not.
Table Image
Don't get frustrated if you get caught bluffing. Every poker player gets caught bluffing and if you don't then you aren't bluffing enough. After getting caught in bluff, go back to playing solid hands unless you want to appear reckless at the table. If you keep trying to bluff opponents will eventually pick up on it and you will get called more often. Try to pay attention to "calling stations" at the table. These "calling stations" are the players at the table who never fold no matter how much you bet. Do not try to bluff them if you notice they are calling a lot of other bets from your opponents.
Reading your opponents
Avoid over/under betting
C-betting
Semi-bluffing
Table image
Calling stations
Reading Your Opponents
Since it is impossible to know exactly what your opponent has at all times, you have to be able to read them and judge how strong they are in the hand. Often times, it is crucial to bluff if your opponent shows weakness. Being able to read your opponent's weakness is extremely important. Sometimes you can win a hand by betting as if you have your opponent beat even if they are the one who truly had the best hand. The trick is to make your opponent think you have a better hand than them. Bluffing is an important aspect of any successful poker player's game. Neither you nor your opponent will flop the "nuts" every hand. You will need to take chances and try to win pots even when you know your beat.
Avoid Over/Under Betting
If your goal is to get your opponent to fold then you have to make sure you don't bet too low. Doing so may give your opponent odds to call based on the fact that calling your bet will not affect his chip stack. If you bet too many chips it may look like you are trying to buy the pot by over betting and your opponent might sense something is up (weakness). When deciding to bluff you can raise with almost anything and bet it out like you hit the flop if you get called. This is known as c-betting the flop. This is a good way to steal blinds late in the tournament. Sometimes it will backfire and you will lose chips when your opponent actually has a hand.
If you flop a draw or something like bottom pair you can semi-bluff. A semi-bluff is also a good way to build a pot with a drawing hand such as a flush or straight draw. If you bet the draws instead of check-calling them, you may be able to take the pot down on the river with a nice sized bluff regardless of if you hit your draw or not.
Table Image
Don't get frustrated if you get caught bluffing. Every poker player gets caught bluffing and if you don't then you aren't bluffing enough. After getting caught in bluff, go back to playing solid hands unless you want to appear reckless at the table. If you keep trying to bluff opponents will eventually pick up on it and you will get called more often. Try to pay attention to "calling stations" at the table. These "calling stations" are the players at the table who never fold no matter how much you bet. Do not try to bluff them if you notice they are calling a lot of other bets from your opponents.
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