Poker Guide: Kinds of Bluffing
Bluffing comes in different forms in poker. No matter what type of a bluff it is and in what situation, the goal is the same: make everyone else fold. A call usually means sure defeat. Let us show you the kinds of bluffing you can do.
Stealing the Blinds / Preflop Raise. When you are on the button and everyone has folded, you can move to steal the blinds. You want to do this only when you have a less than great hand. After all, if you were dealt AA or AK, why miss the action? No. You raise preflop when you have less than that and you think the blinds are vulnerable.
This kind of bluffing works only with players who do not defend their blinds often. Some players guard their blinds fanatically. Don't try to steal it from them.
Stone Cold Bluffing. This is when you bluff with a dead hand like J2 off-suit that has absolutely no connection to the board. When you bluff stone cold, you hope to the heavens everybody folds. If even one player calls you, you're dead all right.
Obviously this is the most dangerous kind of bluffing. You should do a stone cold bluff only in good position. When you are in late position and it is clear nobody has a good hand, you can attempt it. Bet big (possible in no limit games) and you might just steal the pot.
Getting caught in a showdown with a stone-cold bluff will be very embarrassing for you. But don't let that discourage you from ever trying this bluff. It happens to everyone. Plus, if you get caught bluffing, you are more likely to be called when you are dealt a monster hand.
Semi Bluffing. A semi bluff is a bet for a drawing hand. Say you hold four cards to a flush. Technically you have nothing at the moment. But you bet as you have already made your hand. If this kind of bluffing fails, you still have a shot at winning in case you complete your hand.
Flop Bluffing. This kind of bluffing is in two stages. First, you bet impressively on the flop to make others think you have pocket pairs something. Hopefully this will scare half or more than half of your opponents into folding. When the flop hits, you then bet again as if you have flopped a monster. It works… sometimes. But you have to disguise your poker tells well.
Bluffing is one of those poker strategies that will win you a lot of pots when done correctly. They are fun too. What could be more fun than stealing other people's money with a lousy hand? Master the art of trickery in poker. Bluff your way to big money!
