How to Bluff in Poker

A risky tactic, bluffing in poker is not something to apply regularly. But for that extraordinary chance to take down a big pot at poker night, you might just be able to bluff your way through. Here are some suggestions for successful bluffing in poker.

Steps

1. Understand the stakes. Bluffing can go wrong and cause you to lose a lot of money and possibly face! By betting money into a pot that you know you're not necessarily going to win, you're taking a big risk. On the other hand, sometimes opportunity strikes and seems so winnable, and the other players so "bluffable", that it's worth the risk. It is worth understanding from the outset that bluffing is a lot less common than shown in the movies; in most cases, you do need to have good cards.
   • In tournaments avoid shorter stacks who will be looking to get their money in lightly or deeper stacks that can afford to look you up. Medium stacks are the ideal target.
   • Bluff when it's worth doing so but also when the stakes are highest; bluffing works best in higher stakes because the pressure's on!
   • Talented poker players acquire their skill from thousands upon thousands of hands of experience. If you continue to play poker with discipline and an open mind, your chances of bluffing successfully should increase consistently. A good bluffer is a good story-teller and "makes it real".
   • The best bluff is one where nobody knows you've bluffed and you don't get caught!
2. Understand how to read the tells. "Tells" are important - they're the analyzing side of playing poker. Not only does a good knowledge of tells tell when someone else is bluffing, knowing common signs of bluffing will help you to try and avoid your own unconscious giveaway signs. And listen to other's advice about when they consider you're bluffing; being consciously aware of your subconscious tells can be used to your advantage by forcing the "bluff" tells when you want someone to think you're bluffing but you're not!
   • Watch how chips are put down. They can be placed down gently, counted down, banged down, slid forward, etc. If a player bets his chips very strong and far away from himself, it can mean that subconsciously their chips are going away from them, and they might be bluffing. On the other hand, a person betting closer to themselves can subconsciously mean that the money is coming back to them.
   • Watch the body language. Look for eye twitches, lip movements, scratching, flaring nostrils, holding of breath, and hand movements (such as covering parts of the face). All of these things can indicate bluffing.
   • Shaking is considered to be a sign of strength.
   • When your opponent acts strong they are likely weak. Staring you down whilst you act, splashing the pot, or forcing a smile when a certain card hits are all common signs.
   • Watch other players to learn the tells when they're bluffing. Learn good tricks from those who bluff well.
3. Develop the proverbial poker face. Keen instincts and sharp intellect must be combined with the ability to show no emotion, or reveal nothing other than casual involvement in the game. Look at your cards casually. Don't give away any information and keep your face as expressionless as stone. Avoid expressing disappointment at seeing bad cards - this is crucial if you're playing face to face.
   • Consider using props. Cowboys in the Wild West used to use their hats to cover their faces. In the age of televised poker, novelty props such as crazy hats, spooky glasses, and fancy wear can turn a player's chosen image into a big business affiliated product.
   • A hoodie and sunglasses can work to cover your face.
4. Begin bluffing. While the instructions outlined in the following steps are specialized for "Texas Hold 'Em," they can be applied to any type of poker game.
5. Start by counting how many players are in the hand. Your chances of successfully bluffing are greater with fewer opponents because you have fewer people to drive out of the pot. Bluffing one or two players is more profitable than bluffing three or more players.
6. Bet, or raise someone else's bet, in the first round of betting, before the flop. Do not bet too much, and don't raise an already large bet. If you think someone else actually has a great to play another hand.
7. Make a check, if it's available, either after the flop or turn. Make a reasonable bet in the other round. Consistent betting makes your opponents think you really have a winning hand and are trying to get as many chips out of them as you can. It takes guts to carry out a good bluff, but if it's done right it will work.
8. Remember that the bet following the river card is the most important. This one must be powerful and intimidating. If the check comes to you, place a large bet. If a player bets in front of you, there are two things you can do. If they bet small, a significantly larger bet might push them out. However, if they make a large, bluff-like bet, your best chance would be to call and go all in. The best feeling in poker is catching someone on a bluff and taking down a large pot with a bluff of your own.
   • The turn card is very important. If you bet big on the turn when you've been betting moderately earlier, players will be more intimidated. If you think you've won the hand on the turn card, you may even want to check and then bet like crazy on the river. People are more likely to call a big bet if you checked before, thinking you might be bluffing. This works even better if you've been (accidentally?) caught bluffing earlier.
9. Remember that the most important aspect is to tell a story with your bet. No matter how much advice you've followed from this article, an ill-timed river bet will not tell a cohesive story on its own.
   • For example: Let's say you raise pre-flop, and bet hard again on a flop of 9-3-J. With no available draws, your opponent might put you on a pair of jacks or pocket pair. If the turn brings a 3 and you bet again, your opponent will certainly not put you on a real hand, as you couldn't have raised hard pre-flop with any hand containing a 3 only to bet bottom pair hard on the flop. A savvy opponent will simply call your bets and rake in the pot with any made hand. Pay attention to the texture of the flop and watch how the hand unfolds. Represent a certain specific hand consistently with your betting pattern.
   • Bluff cards that will likely have weakened your opponents hand. if your opponent has called on a J-7-2 flop and the turn comes a 7 this is not a good time to bluff as any pair your opponent may hold will still be as strong as before. If the turn comes down a K unless your opponents pair of jacks or sevens is not looking so good now so they are more likely to fold.

Tips

• Know your game. Can you predict when one player is going to take the pot without showing his hand? Bluffing involves recognizing that situation and exploiting it.
• Don't bluff too much. It is essential that the other players think you only play good hands.
• The basic bluff goes like this: You have nothing. Your opponents have nothing. You bet. They fold. Sometimes it's difficult even to make people throw away an inside straight. Know your opponents.
• Bluffing is best with a very small pot because no one really wants to vie for it with you. They think to themselves, "alright, if he has something good, he'll win. If he doesn't, I might win but it's not worth the risk." Although it doesn't seem like much money, it can be your edge if you do it well.
• It is a mistake to think that there are no mathematics involved in bluffing. It is mathematically a good idea to bluff if you're in late position against one or two opponents going into the flop. The small pool guarantees that no one has a very good idea of what the other person has. In other words it's a high risk bet for everyone. Betting into a high risk pot is bad poker strategy, so if a young/inexperienced player bets, he is probably bluffing (raise him) and if the player is older and better, you can trust his bet is backed up with at least something (fold). Keep in mind that the early position player might try to draw a bluff by checking if he has a good hand. That's part of the game.
• Conversely, it's generally not a good idea to bluff if a lot of people saw the flop. There is a very good chance that someone made at least a two pair or trips (the average winning hand in 10-handed hold'em). It will take a very strong bet and strong reputation to scare away someone with a real hand.
• Some flops (three of a kind for example) lend themselves towards bluffing (betting with nothing) or semi-bluffing (over-betting your hand). For a flop to be "bluffable" it must be rare and there must be a small number of ways to win. Three queens on the flop is a perfect example. There is anxiety about who has the pocket pair. Fear and risk are a bluffer's best friends because good poker players look for easy money. In this case it is best to bluff in early position because if someone in early position has the nuts, they are likely to check and call the bluff.
• One fundamental requirement for successful bluffing is a table with other players who are thinking about what cards you have. In many low stakes (so called "No Fold'em) Hold'em games, players think only about their own hands; in these games, a bluff will rarely work.
• You don't have to show your cards if everyone else folds. You can take the pot and leave everyone to wonder what you had. This is almost always advisable.
• Learn how to calculate the odds of winning a particular hand and use this information to inform your play.
• Try to remember how each player bets! Each player tends to have a pattern to their betting based on what hand they have and what they think others have. It is probably easiest to pay attention to this when you are not actually playing a hand (i.e. you have already folded).
• To clock a good player, watch their betting structure. They tend to mix their play up a lot, for example, they'll enter a pot with a raise with a big pocket pair, and then make the same bet in the same position a few hands later with suited connectors. This tends to throw you off the scent so that when you end up betting with them, you, as the opponent, are not totally sure what they have.
• A good player knows when to fold, when to throw away those pocket aces on the river to possible flushes and straights. Too many novice players tend to call on the river with weak hands because they don't calculate what their opponent has, they just see their own two cards.
• For this reason, which seems counter-intuitive on it's face, it's better to bluff a good player than a novice; a good player will generally have raised by the time you are ready to bluff, alerting you to pick a better spot, unless they have the nuts. A novice has seen too much tv poker, and suspects every bet is a bluff.
• Another mistake a novice will make: if you watch the players on your table, you can spot the novice quickly just by certain cards they play, or the way they play certain cards, for example:
  • Player gets dealt a big ace (ak); when the flop appears they hit none of their cards, then make the dreaded mistake of calling big bets hoping to hit on the turn, and they miss their cards completely on the turn as well, but for some strange reason continue to call bets. The golden rule is know when you're beat and fold! Of course, a pro is going to play AK, too- but he is going to pop it pretty good pre-flop to get heads up, preferably.
  • This mistake is not just based on (ak), but many novice players doing the same thing with an ace and any second card. An ace is only good if you can make use of it, if the ace you have been dealt doesn’t make a hand then fold.

Things You'll Need

• Playing cards
• Poker chips

Poker is currently undergoing a surge in popularity, due in part to its prominence on television and popularity with celebrities. Want to join the fun? It's easy to get started. Here's an approachable overview of how to play 5-card draw, which will help you get the basics down. Once you get the hang of it, you can easily adapt to playing other variations (described below) and improve your poker skills through practice. Poker is usually played with a standard 4-suit 52-card deck. The ace normally plays high, but can sometimes play low. A joker or other wild cards may be added. Wild cards introduce an additional hand, five of a kind, which normally ranks above a straight flush. When a joker is in play, it usually can only be used as an ace or to complete a straight or flush. It cannot be used as a true wild card. At the showdown, those players still remaining compare their hands according to the hand rankings. Suits are not used to break ties, nor are cards beyond the fifth; only the best five cards in each hand are used in the comparison. In the case of a tie, the pot is split equally among the winning hands.

Steps:

1. Become familiar with poker hand rankings. The person who wins is the person with the highest-valued hand. You can't win if you don't know which hands will take the pot. If two players have hands with the same value (e.g. two full houses) or no one has a winning hand, then the player with the highest value card in their hand wins (Ace is highest). Print out a ranking of the poker hands and memorize the hands.
2. Chip in. Place an "ante" (pronounced ant-ee) or "token bet" (pronounced token bet) into the pot (usually a spot at the center of the table, although you can use a pot if you wish). Every player places an equal amount of whatever your currency (poker chips, nickels, bills, car keys...). Whoever wins takes it all.
3. Deal or be dealt with. After shuffling (showing off) the dealer distributes the cards face down starting with the player to his or her immediate left and continuing clockwise, one card at a time, until everyone has five cards. The deck is placed in the middle of the table.
4. Look at your cards while everyone else looks at theirs. This is the time to evaluate how strong your hand is. Beginner players usually end up showing how strong their hand is with what is known as a tell. Some tells include; shallow breathing, lack of or too much eye contact, facial muscle flexes, etc. Trying to reduce these tells will give you a better chance. Keep your "poker face".
5. Take turns. The first person to make a call is usually the player on the dealer's left (who was dealt the first card). That player can open (place the first bet) or check (pass the decision onto the next player). Once the pot is opened, meaning that a player bets a certain amount (e.g. places a nickel in the pot), all of the people who already has their turns have two options:
   • See or call - Stay in the game by putting the equivalent amount in the pot.
   • Fold - Quit the game by putting your cards face down on the table; whatever you put in the pot stays in the pot.
   After they've made their choices, everyone who still has a turn will have those options, plus an additional one:
   • Raise - Stay in the game by putting more than the last person put in the pot.
   If someone raises, then everyone who already had a turn must see or fold again. Then the next person has their turn.
6. Draw. Once everyone has had a turn (even if everyone checked) get rid of up to three cards you don't want and have them replaced. This is done in turns, again beginning with the player on the dealer's left and going clockwise. Choose the cards that you don't think will help you gain a winning hand. You might get rid of three cards, or you might keep them all. If you do get rid of cards, put them face down on the table so no one sees what you had.
7. Go through another around of betting. As before, the first player can either open or check, and the checking can continue until someone opens, after which players can see, raise or fold. More people will start to fold once they realize their weak hand isn't worth the bet.
8. Expose your cards. Everyone turns their cards over to see who has the winning hand. Winner takes all

Variations

• 7-card stud - Same as 5-card stud but with 7 cards instead of 5. You make the best 5-card hand possible out of the cards that you have.
• Hold'em (or Texas Hold'em) - You're initially dealt two cards (pocket cards) face down, followed by a round of betting. Then the dealer lays out the "flop" which consists of three cards that anyone can use in their hand. There's another round of betting, followed by another card added to the flop, then another round of betting, and then the final card is added to the flop.
• Lowball - The goal is to get the hand with the lowest value.
• Omaha - Four pocket cards are dealt face down, betting ensues, and then five community cards are dealt face up. A player must make a winning hand using two of the pocket cards combined with the three community cards.
• Pineapple - Dealt three hole cards, discard one BEFORE the flop, play like Texas Hold'em.
• Crazy Pineapple - Dealt three hole cards, discard one AFTER the flop, play like Texas Hold'em.
• Cincinnati - Four hole cards and four community cards with four rounds of betting

Tips

• You can bluff, or trick the other players into believing you have a powerful hand, by placing high bets. If they fall for it, they'll fold and you'll take the pot with a weak hand.
• Aggressive players bet very high early in the game.
• Conservative players only stay in the game when their cards are good. They don't lose as much money, but they're easily spotted (and bluffed) by more experienced players.

Poker Hands: Reference Sheet

1. Royal Flush (10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all of the same suit) - Most valued because it's most surprising when received. It is a common misconception that this is harder to get than any of the other set of 5 cards.
2. Straight Flush (five cards in numerical order, all of the same suit) - Can't contain a King and a Two in the same hand (e.g. Q-K-A-2-3).
3. Four of a Kind (four cards of the same number and any other card)
4. Full House (three cards with the same number and two cards with the same number) - ties are broken by the highest value card in the three of a kind.
5. Flush (all five cards from the same suit) - Numbers don't matter
6. Straight - (all five cards in numerical order) - Suit doesn't matter. Can't contain a King and a Two in the same hand (e.g. J-Q-K-A-2).
7. Three of a Kind (three cards with same number, two other random cards) - If the other two cards have the same number, it's a full house (see above).
8. Two Pair (two sets with the same numbers plus a random card) -
9. One Pair (two cards with the same number, the rest of the cards are random)

Poker Hands: In Depth

Royal Flush The highest poker hand an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and a 10, all of the same suit. Straight Flush A straight flush is a poker hand such as Q♣ J♣ 10♣ 9♣ 8♣, which contains five cards in sequence, all of the same suit. As such it is both a straight and a flush. Two such hands are compared by their highest card; since suits have no relative value, two otherwise identical straight flushes tie (so 10♣ 9♣ 8♣ 7♣ 6♣ ties with 10♥ 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥). Aces can play low in straights and straight flushes: 5♦ 4♦ 3♦ 2♦ A♦ is a 5–high straight flush, also known as a "steel wheel”. An ace-high straight flush such as A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ is known as a royal flush, and is the highest ranking standard poker hand. Four of a kind Four of a kind, also known as quads, is a poker hand such as 9♣ 9♠ 9♦ 9♥ J♥, which contains four cards of one rank, and an unmatched card of another rank. It ranks above a full house and below a straight flush. Higher ranking quads defeat lower ranking ones. In community-card games (such as Texas Hold 'em) or games with wildcards it is possible for two or more players to obtain the same quad; in this instance, the unmatched card acts as a kicker, so 7♣ 7♠ 7♦ 7♥ J♥ defeats 7♣ 7♠ 7♦ 7♥ 10♣. Full House A full house, also known as a full boat, is a hand such as 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 6♣ 6♥, which contains three matching cards of one rank, and two matching cards of another rank. It ranks below a four of a kind and above a flush. Between two full houses, the one with the higher ranking set of three wins, so 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ 4♠ 4♣ defeats 4♠ 4♥ 4♦ 7♠ 7♣. If two hands have the same set of three (possible in wild card and community card games), the hand with the higher pair wins, so 5♣ 5♦ 5♠ J♠ J♦ loses to 5♥ 5♦ 5♠ Q♥ Q♣. Full houses are described as "Three full of Pair" or occasionally "Three over Pair"; Q♣ Q♦ Q♠ 9♥ 9♣ could be described as "Queens over nines", "Queens full of nines", or simply "Queens full". However, "Queens over nines" is more commonly used to describe the hand containing two pairs, one pair of queens and one pair of nines, as in Q♠ Q♥ 9♣ 9♠ J♦. Flush A flush is a poker hand such as Q♣ 10♣ 7♣ 6♣ 4♣, which contains five cards of the same suit, not in rank sequence. It ranks above a straight and below a full house. Two flushes are compared as if they were high card hands; the highest ranking card of each is compared to determine the winner. If both hands have the same highest card, then the second-highest ranking card is compared, and so on until a difference is found. If the two flushes contain the same five ranks of cards, they are tied – suits are not used to differentiate them. Flushes are described by their highest card, as in "queen-high flush" to describe Q♦ 9♦ 7♦ 4♦ 3♦. If the rank of the second card is important, it can also be included: K♠ 10♠ 5♠ 3♠ 2♠ is a "king-ten-high flush" or just a "king-ten flush", while K♥ Q♥ 9♥ 5♥ 4♥ is a "king-queen-high flush". If there is two or more players with exactly same hand, the flush is the only one that can help you to win. Straight A straight is a poker hand such as Q♣ J♠ 10♠ 9♥ 8♥, which contains five cards of sequential rank but in more than one suit. It ranks above three of a kind and below a flush. Two straights are ranked by comparing the highest card of each. Two straights with the same high card are of equal value, suits are not used to separate them. Straights are described by their highest card, as in "ten-high straight" or "straight to the ten" for 10♣ 9♦ 8♥ 7♣ 6♠. A hand such as A♣ K♣ Q♦ J♠ 10♠ is an ace-high straight, and ranks above a king-high straight such as K♥ Q♠ J♥ 10♥ 9♣. The ace may also be played as a low card in a five-high straight such as 5♠ 4♦ 3♦ 2♠ A♥, which is colloquially known as a wheel. The ace may not "wrap around", or play both high and low: 3♣ 2♦ A♥ K♠ Q♣ is not a straight, but just ace-high no pair. Three of a Kind Three of a kind, also called trips, set or a prile (the latter from its use in three card poker[4]), is a poker hand such as 2♦ 2♠ 2♣ K♠ 6♥, which contains three cards of the same rank, plus two unmatched cards. It ranks above two pair and below a straight. In Texas hold 'em and other flop games, a "set" refers specifically to a three of a kind composed of a pocket pair and one card of matching rank on the board.[5] Higher-valued three of a kind defeat lower-valued three of a kind, so Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 7♠ 4♣ defeats J♠ J♣ J♦ A♦ K♣. If two hands contain threes of a kind of the same value, possible in games with wild cards or community cards, the kickers are compared to break the tie, so 4♦ 4♣ 4♠ 8♦ 6♣ defeats 4♦ 4♣ 4♠ 6♣ 5♦. Two Pairs A poker hand such as J♥ J♣ 4♣ 4♠ 9♥, which contains two cards of the same rank, plus two cards of another rank (that match each other but not the first pair), plus one unmatched card, is called two pair. It ranks above one pair and below three of a kind. To rank two hands both containing two pair, the higher ranking pair of each is first compared, and the higher pair wins (so 10♠ 10♣ 8♥ 8♣ 4♠ defeats 8♥ 8♣ 4♠ 4♣ 10♠). If both hands have the same "top pair", then the second pair of each is compared, such that 10♠ 10♣ 8♥ 8♣ 4♠ defeats 10♠ 10♣ 4♠ 4♥ 8♥). Finally, if both hands have the same two pairs, the kicker determines the winner: 10♠ 10♣ 8♥ 8♣ 4♠ loses to 10♠ 10♣ 8♥ 8♣ A♦. Two pair are described by the higher pair first, followed by the lower pair if necessary; K♣ K♦ 9♠ 9♥ 5♥ could be described as "Kings over nines", "Kings and nines" or simply "Kings up" if the nines are not important. Pair One pair is a poker hand such as 4♥ 4♠ K♠ 10♥ 5♠, which contains two cards of the same rank, plus three other unmatched cards. It ranks above any high card hand, but below all other poker hands. Higher ranking pairs defeat lower ranking pairs; if two hands have the same pair, the non-paired cards (the kickers) are compared in descending order to determine the winner. High Card A high-card or no-pair hand is a poker hand such as K♥ J♣ 8♣ 7♦ 3♠, in which no two cards have the same rank, the five cards are not in sequence, and the five cards are not all the same suit. It is also referred to as "no pair", as well as "nothing", "garbage," and various other derogatory terms. High card ranks below all other poker hands; two such hands are ranked by comparing the highest ranking card. If those are equal, then the next highest ranking card from each hand is compared, and so on until a difference is found. High card hands are described by the one or two highest cards in the hand, such as "king high", "ace-queen high", or by as many cards as are necessary to break a tie. The lowest possible high card is seven-high (such as 7♠ 5♣ 4♦ 3♦ 2♣), because a hand such as 6♦ 5♣ 4♠ 3♦ 2♥ would be a straight.

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