The Art of Bluffing in Texas Hold'em

Bluffing in Texas Hold'em is what separates the average players from the best. Anybody can get dealt good cards and win with them, but it takes a true pro to work with the many trash hands received over the course of a tournament. Here are some basic tips and guidelines to becoming a better bluffer.

Tip #1: Don't be afraid!

If you are scared to bluff, it's going to show. Texas Hold'em is a game of reading other players, and if you aren't confident of yourself when throwing out chips on a bluff, you will likely be called out. When you're making your move, do everything you can to appear as normal as you do on any other hand.

Tip #2: Be aggressive with your bluff.

If you are going to bluff, you can't go about it passively. A small bet at a large pot isn't likely to make someone fold a decent hand. Bet hard, but not so hard that you will be committing more than you are willing to fold away.

Tip #3: Your best chance to bluff is after the flop.

Yes, it's very possible to bluff pre-flop, but many Hold'em players with a good hand are going to be reluctant to release it before the flop. It would take a very solid pre-flop raise to make someone lay down a good hand, and if you bet against aces or any other premium hand, they're likely to move all-in against you. After the flop comes out, however, even aces can be shoved out of the pot if the board comes up nasty, which brings me to my next tip.

Tip #4: Bet based on how the flop looks.

If the board comes up looking scary for premium hands (7-8-9 for instance, or three of the same suit), bet it hard. If they call you, they likely caught a piece of that draw, but if they have a high pair, or AK without that suit being involved, that board will scare them. Straight and flush draws are AA's worst enemy; play into that fear.

Tip #5: Don't let pride get in your way.

If you fire at a pot twice and get called or raised back, don't hesitate to fold your hand if you feel as though they aren't going to let go of their hand. Swallow your pride and fold your hand. Half of a successful bluff is reading your opponent; if he's staying, let him stay and get out of the pot before you throw more chips at him. This is arguably the hardest part of bluffing for some players, but it's an absolute must.

Tip #6: Get caught once in awhile.

One of the biggest advantages of bluffing is that, once caught, your opponents will tend to make more loose calls against you. In Texas Hold'em, loose calls mean a lot of money when you really do have a good hand. If you get a table image of being an aggressive player and bluffer, your opponents will be more likely to call you with the second best hand, winning you a lot of chips when you've got them beat.

Tip #7: Play your position.

Always be aware of your table position when bluffing. You typically don't want to start bluffing in early position. Your best chance to pick up the pot is when you are on the button, or close to it, because by then you can see how others are reacting to what they've seen. If there is a bet and a call, this is typically a bad time to bluff and you can lay down your hand easily. If you are early in the hand, check and see what happens around the rest of the table. If the person on the button bets out after several checks, try raising them; they likely are trying to buy the pot.

Tip #8: Bluff with a draw.

Bluffing with absolutely nothing is doable, but leaves you nothing to hope for if you get called. The best plays to make are the ones where you have outs if you get called. If you flop four to a straight, you have two chances to win when you bluff; your first chance is when he folds, and if he calls, you have the second chance of actually hitting your hand to win. Bluffing with a dead hand means you can only win if he folds, leaving you very little chance to out-draw them when you get called.

Tip #9: Bluff on the river if you think your opponent missed a draw.

If you have lasted into the river and your opponent has played softly during the hand, bet at him hard if the river turns up a dead card that completes no draws. Your opponent could have been chasing a straight or flush that missed and will usually throw his hand away to a solid bet. If he plays back, though, fold it. You probably read him wrong.

Tip #10: Pay attention to your opponent's chips.

Bluffing at a player running low on chips is likely to have him bet all-in against you with any decent hand, hoping to either out-draw you, or catch you bluffing. Also bluffing against the chip leader will prove difficult, as he has the chips to call you without risking too much of his stash. Try to bluff at people with a similar chip stack to your own. Their fear of potentially being put all-in may be just the edge you need to steal their pot.

One final thing to note is that the skill of the player greatly impacts how they will react to your betting. Don't bluff at bad players! They aren't good enough to realize the moves you may be placing on them, and are more likely to call a bluff than to make (what should appear to be) a smart laydown. Expert Texas Hold'em players will know that you very well could be representing a power hand when you bet at them, and are more likely to respect your move.

Table image is everything in poker, and you want to create the image of a loose, aggressive better. This will get you more calls when you want them, and more pots when they are reluctant to call with nothing. It takes a better hand to call a bet than to make the bet, so by being the raiser and not the caller, you will always have the edge.