In
poker, the term bluffing is used to describe a betting practice
to raise, particularly to raise aggressively, even though the
hand you hold is not very strong.
Especially in games where multiple betting rounds are in place,
a player may bluff with an inferior hand in the hopes that he
might improve his hand with additional cards. Suppose you are in
a stud poker game and you have four heart suited cards showing
but you have none among your downcards.
You may bluff, raising the hand to give the impression to
everyone else that you do have a fifth heart in your
downcards. If that bluff fails
to get all others to fold and someone calls to stay in, you
still might get the fifth heart on the final card and win the
showdown. Of course, you might not get that heart, and you could
still bluff to try to get the final player to fold who may have
also stayed in just to get a potential final card that did not
come his way either.
Of
course, the key to using this strategy, as well as most others,
is to be unpredictable. If you bluff constantly or in certain
situations, other players will catch on. But just as
importantly, if you never bluff, then the players will also
learn that when you bet they had better fold unless they have an
extremely strong hand. Ultimately, you may still win the hand
but the pot will likely be much smaller if you are predictable.
Being random or relying on intuition appears to be as effective
as any game theory, but there is no substitute for analyzing
your competitors strategies.
Bluffs are extremely useful when fewer people are left in the
pot. Against a single competitor or even two opponents, you
might be able to bluff as neither player may have a hand good
enough to call and stay in. But when up against three or more
players left in the game, bluffing can be very risky. It is
highly unlikely that if three or more opponents are still in a
game that at least one of them is probably going to have some
kind of decent hand. Also, remember that if several players
follow you and they begin to fold, someone towards the end will
likely call you to at least play sheriff to preserve the game
action, particularly if that player has any kind of hand. If
only one player follows you, no one will be angry if that player
folds.
Opponents actions are based more upon their view of their own
hand rather than that of your hand. So if you are playing
Seven-card stud and are dealt upcards
that makes it look as though you may have a flush or something
else, bluffing against someone who may have three of a kind will
likely not work. Three of a kind is a strong hand and that
player is not likely to give in easily, even if he suspects you
have a strong hand as well. However, bluffing against someone
who has a pair is likely to work, even if your hand does not
look all that strong to the other player.
Bluffing works best in early rounds of games with numerous
betting rounds. Bluffing allows you to stay in to get additional
cards and the chance to improve your hand. In this case, you
might win with the bluff or you may receive a successful draw.
But bluffing late is risky, especially for a larger pot, as
players simply will be more apt to at least call so as to have
an opportunity at the big payout.
When in the last betting round, a hand that is somewhat strong
generally works better by checking first then calling the bet of
your opponent rather than bluffing to start with. A player with
a weaker hand would probably fold if you bet but by checking,
you might induce him to bluff, allowing you to call him later.
This could lead you to a bigger pot at showdown time. Likewise,
if that player actually has a better hand than you do, he will
almost certainly call and might even raise the bid, tipping you
off as well.
A
raise at opening is more psychologically intimidating than just
opening and is a popular bluff technique. But it can be very
risky as you now have more of your money in the pot and the pot
is also bigger making calls more likely than folds.
