Bluffing online, as you might imagine, is
a completely different art than bluffing at a live table.
Know Your Enemy
The first rule is know your table. Watch a few
hands, maybe do a "test bluff" to find out whether
the table is a loose table or tight table. You will find at
lower money tables that players are willing to call more or
bluff more themselves. So early on, bluffs should be avoided.
Semi-bluffs are the only thing to consider until you know
your enemies.
Be very careful when bluffing at big chip stacks.
They have the chips to absorb a loss, and are more likely
to call. On the other hand, bluff at the short stackers. They
are protecting their chips and are generally very vulnerable.
Deception
In online poker it is important to establish
that you are either a tight player or loose player early on,
then you can bluff in the opposite way. A tight player who
constantly folds to bets and rarely raises as great power
when he suddenly raises or reraises. A loose player has power
when he has being raising with junk, caught bluffing, but
then has a big hand, raises and is called because of his "bad"
reputation.
So many people think that if they bluff alot
and play loose and crazy poker, it makes their bluffs stronger
because none can ever be sure what they have. It actually
works the exact opposite. As anyone whose played long knows,
great cards don't come often, so the chance that the wild
player is holding trash is generally higher than the chance
that he's got good cards. Therefore, strong players almost
always call crazy bluffers. On the other hand, its very very
hard to call someone's bluff who always plays good cards.
When you have the image of a strong player who throws away
the trash cards, the other people at the table know that odds
are you have good cards, and to call the bluff is taking a
big risk. Play a good number of hands at any one table and
build your table image before trying to bluff.
Don't Over Extend Your Forces
How many players are you trying to bluff? The
more people you are trying to bluff, the less chance you have
of it working. Bluffing a table full of players is simply
not wise. One is bound to either have something or want to
gamble with you.
Position is Everything
Bluff from late position whenever possible.
If everyone is checking, calling or folding in front of you,
its a perfect time to try and buy the pot. Its not wise to
bluff from early position, because you have no clue as to
who has hit their hand or been dealt killer cards.
Don't Bluff
A wise general never truly bluffs unless it
is in one of two places. Preflop, when trying to steal the
blinds from a few shorter stacked players or second, after
the flop and you take your one shot at the pot. Theses are
the best times to try a true bluff. Other than that, don't
bluff. That doesn't mean not to try the semi-bluff. You are
better served bluffing when there is at least an outside chance
of you forming a decent hand. Maybe you have a flush draw
or a straight draw. These are not true bluffs, but truly you
have nothing so it is a bluff. Another good time for a semi-bluff
is when you pick up a small pair. You may pick up the pot
with a good bet, but you may at least "Buy a Card"
and have a chance to improve your hand. A wise general leaves
his troops with outs in case the bluff is called.
Buying a Card
Part of the semi-bluff is trying to buy another
card. Maybe you have one of the above hands in the "Don't
Bluff" section. For example if you have an inside straight
draw, you may want to try to bet and at least just have the
other player or players call. If you pop the straight, then
great, if not you may need to give up your bluff and check.
This works the same for the flush draw or a small pair. You
may bet at the small pair and hit Trips or 2-pair. Buying
a card at the right price is a great use of the bluff.
Getting Intel
Anytime you bet you are getting information
about both the player and the current hand. Sometimes a small
bluff is lost, but the intel gained can be used a t a later
time.
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