Bluffing is a very important part of poker strategy. The ability to bluff is usually the one thing that separates a good poker player from a really great poker player. The reason the bluff works in the poker is because poker is a game of wits as much as it is a card game. The goal of every great poker player is to be able to use the bluff to lull the players into a false sense of trust.
When a poker player is good at bluffing they can trick their opponents into thinking that you are either holding a mediocre hand when in fact you have a great hand, or vice versa. Many poker players feel that a game is only interesting if they are holding an inferior hand and are trying to bluff it into being a winner.
A fatal mistake that many online poker site players make is that they over bluff. Bluffing to much is the equivalent of calling wolf. The more often you bluff the less effective it becomes. Knowing when to bluff and when to just play an honest hand is an important part of game strategy. Figuring out when you should and when you shouldn’t bluff is almost as important as knowing how to bluff The best time to bluff is when you feel that it is going to throw you opponent off their game.
Most people assume that a bluff is just a bluff, but the truth is that there are two different types of bluff. If you are planning on being a competitive poker player you need to know both types of bluff.
The two types of bluff are called pure bluff and the semi-bluff. The characteristics of a pure bluff is that it is used when the hand you have been dealt is really bad. When you are doing a pure bluff you know that nothing you are holding should be able to win. Your goal when you are doing a pure bluff is that everybody else at the table will fold. While the pure bluff is lots of fun, it is not something that you should do very often since you fellow players will quickly catch on.
The second type of bluff that is commonly seen in poker is called the semi-bluff. This is a type of bluff that you do when you have an okay hand but suspect that someone else at the table if holding better cards. The idea of the semi bluff is that you will be dealt a card that will dramatically improve your hand. The semi-bluff is most commonly seen in games of Texas Hold ‘em and Crazy Pineapple poker.
Bluffing, just like most things poker related takes time to learn. Professional poker players spend years perfecting their bluffing. The best way to hone your bluffing skills is to play lots and lots of poker. Eventually you will discover how one or two good bluffs can completely change the pace and feel of a game.