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Poker 101: Top bluffing tips you should know

Poker is undeniably the most popular card game in the entire world. As a game of luck and strategy, it becomes interesting to play because in order to win, you have to have the best hand on the table. The reason behind this is that a strategic player can outsmart even the ones with the most impressive cards. 

With the long history of poker, there are several variants introduced in the market. Some of them being Omaha and Texas Hold’em. With the popularity of these games, players have also learned about various techniques on how they can win and take home huge wins. The most common technique that people have learned is the art of bluffing. 

Technically speaking, a bluff is a bet or raise that you can make when you don’t have the best poker hand. This raises your chances of winning by tricking your opponents into believing that you have better cards. The ability to use it at the right time can provide you an advantage even at your chosen Bitcasino live casino games. Even though it is among the best approaches to have a better poker game, you must know when is the right time to use it.

In case you aren’t that familiar with poker bluffs yet, read along to understand what it is and how you can use it to your advantage. 

Types of bluff 

It might not be obvious but there are different kinds of poker bluffs. There are four that are most commonly used. These are: 

  • Semi bluff → This is made when you have a not-so-poor hand that you can still improve. Examples of such hands are straight and flush draws. 
  • Continuation bet bluff → It is the kind of bluff where you have to take the lead and rely on your rival’s failure to hit the board.
  • Zero equity/stone-cold bluff → This bluff relies solely on fold equity to demonstrate a profit because you have virtually no chance of improving to the best hand.
  • Opportunistic bluff → You can place this when no one else has expressed an interest in the pot. If no one else is likely to have a strong hand, you can expect this bet to be successful enough to earn a profit.

Helpful bluffing tips 

There are several effective bluffing tips that can help you bluff at the right moment. In case you haven’t tried using this technique yet on online casinos or on the actual table setting with poker player positions, here are a few things you would have to learn more about: 

Steal the blinds 

Even though it’s not necessary, many people believe that you need to have an exceptionally strong hand to steal the blinds. You just need the correct kind of tight players (the weak players in the blinds).

If you notice two tight players in the small and big blind who don’t typically retaliate, increase your bet rather than folding. This straightforward poker bluff can succeed and win you an easy pot.

Try a flop continuation bet 

The continuation bet is what many of your opponents play whenever they hit the board or not or when they decide to raise preflop and bet after the flop. C-bets are an effective strategy that you can use, but you shouldn’t just bet on it without thinking it through. 

This may be effective when playing fit-or-fold poker versus relatively weak opponents, but it won’t work against intelligent opponents who’ll observe your preflop range and compare it to the flop texture. Therefore, you should do the same while attempting to identify a c-bet bluff.

Bluff raise the flop 

Since you’ll have both a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot straight draw to the nuts, it’s important to play this move with hands that have some equity.

Ideally, you should occasionally raise some of your less obvious draws. You’ll win more pots this way without having to enter a showdown. This will also work even if you don’t have the best hand.

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Bluff your missed draws on the river

The secret to winning more pots in Texas Hold’em without a showdown is to bluff on the river. The perfect time to do it is when you missed a draw on the river. Make sure you are only using this strategy against players who are scared and weak enough to take risks. When bluffing the river in poker, you should also make sure that your story is plausible.

To make it sound legitimate, you should try asking yourself questions like ‘What does my opponent think I have?’ or ‘Does it seem like I represent a legitimate hand?’. Aside from that, avoid doing it frequently on casual gamers because they may call you off.

Bluff on one player at a time 

It’s hard to pull off an effective bluff against many players at the same time. The reason behind it is that it’s challenging to convince most of them to fold. Therefore, it’s not worth trying if you’re just getting started with bluffing. 

If your hand calls for a bluff, concentrate on just one player. This will protect you from the risk of catching everyone’s attention, having someone call your bluff, and losing.

Use the instant-bet bluff

This is a typical poker bluff that is used to mislead the opponent and prevent them from thinking. When used against inexperienced players who feel pressured to make a hasty choice, the instant-bet bluff can be highly effective. They can react by automatically folding their cards without properly thinking about their hands.

When doing this, always assess your opponent’s full hand to be able to determine if they can represent a strong hand since most of them just aim to look more intimidating. 

Try the overbet bluff

The overbet bluff is typically used on the river when your opponent decides to go all in with a huge bet, which is typically significantly larger than the amount of the pot. This is more common than some people think since it allows you to exert the most pressure on your opponents.

By splitting their ranges and occasionally placing large bets, this type of bet can even things out. Doing this can give you poor odds on the call, making this type of bluff a little harder to pull off. 

Only bluff when the stakes are low 

Many novice players are tempted with the thought of bluffing and how they can win big from it. For starters, bluffing works best when the stakes are low. By doing this, you can force your opponent to fold while also reducing the amount of money you lose if they call your bluff. 

You will also come off as more assured and competent if you make smaller bets. In line with this, you may only want to monitor your bankroll carefully so you’ll know your limitations when it comes to bluffing. 

Why you should bluff on poker games 

Now that you know how to pull off a successful bluff, here are some reasons why you should play with a Bitcasino bonus: 

  • It lets you win more 

Playing quite similarly to the other players will only get you the same prizes as them. However, it is by deciding to bluff throughout the game that you can earn more than their fair share and have a better chance to win the pot even when you don’t have the best hand. 

  • It makes you a tougher opponent 

Bluffing isn’t necessary in each game as it can establish a reputation that you don’t know how to play the game properly. However, successfully pulling it off from time to time can make you have a better mastery of the game. It will also make you more accustomed to the playing styles of other players. 

  • It adds excitement to the game 

Bluffing is a fun element of poker that isn’t done on any other card games. In games like blackjack or baccarat, your fate only relies on the cards that you have been dealt with. Meanwhile, poker gives you a chance to win the game even without the best cards. 

Therefore, using a bluff adds more thrill to the game as it elevates the entire playing experience. When playing with friends, you can also share a lot of laughter when you realize that a player who has bluffed their way into the game has outsmarted everyone else. 

These are just some facts that you’d have to know about the art of bluffing in poker games. Upon understanding what it is and how you can do it, you may be more interested to try it on your next game and see how it works for you. Learning these techniques may also help you determine whether or not one of your opponents is just bluffing even when you’re just playing online. 

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