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A reasonable man once said:
"You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time." - Abraham Lincoln
Another element of poker is deceit or bluff. Bluffing is an essential part of the poker game. The purpose of bluffing is to make your opponents to believe that you have a better hand than you actually do. Many novice players love the thought of bluffing the other players - but is a dangerous path to take if the others doesn't bite the bait. The value of the bluff increases under certain circumstances. If you have read the playing pattern of the other players - i.e. if they easily are made to fold, it could be used against them.
It is difficult to tell when to bluff, but below you can read about some general thoughts about bluff.
Typical reasons to bluff could be the following:
A. When the number of players playing is low.
The reason for this of course is that it is easier to fool a few people than a larger number. When the game is low in players the probability of having the best hand increases. The kind of bluffing is quite common though and therefore it is not likely many players will believe in your bluff. Some players will call you just to "keep you honest" and waiting two or three rounds before falling for your bluff. It could become very expensive for you if they don't buy your bluff. Therefore it is really important that you know the players before starting to bluff.
B. When playing cautious players.
Players that often fold are the easiest targets for bluff. When this type of players bets, it is almost sure they have something of value. If you bluff early in the game - before the flop - against a cautious player and the still bet you should really consider your own hand before continuing to bluff them. Chances are they hit something and you probably will end up loosing. The trick is to decide on whether they got it already or they need additional cards to get a good hand. Again it is necessary to know your opponent!
C. On "the river".
This is an obvious place to bluff is the flop and the cards that has been turned apparently doesn't complete a possible hand for the other players. Did they have a possible straight or flush but missed the needed cards? Then your chances of succeeding with your bluff are good. At this point most players turn to rule no. 1 - "You should fold at the moment you know that you can't win". It can be a good idea to bluff with a weak hand as an ace high or a low pair, because some players play no matter what cards they have.
D. You are in late position and the players before you have checked.
In this situation it could be a bit dangerous to make a bluff. You certainly might scare some players away, but not all. This is a very common bluff, and if there are a lot of players in the game some off them are likely to bet you. If you want to bluff here you have to do it over a couple of rounds before you get any results. But know it can cost you big time!!
E. You bet before the flop but did not catch what you needed.
Of course you can bluff here - the others don't know that you didn't catch what you needed. It could be dangerous, but you could consider it.
F. You have "scared" the other players.
Bluff is an option, but it depends on how the other players read you. If you have won a hand some players might say "nice hand" which indicates that they now respect you. They will most likely believe your bluff if you play your cards right. The trick is to play the next hand exactly as the last hand - making the think "oh no, here we go again..."
G. When "the flop" isn't good.
Some players will automatically fold if all they've got is a high card. Chances of many players making good hands with a flop of 2, 6 and 9 are slim. But be warned, this is an example of a bluff that can go very bad and cost a lot of chips. I wouldn't bluff in this situation unless only low cards are showing. Again it is all about knowing the other players.
Remember that these examples are very common situations to bluff. Many players know these situations and most of the times they will call your bluff and you will end up paying. So know your opponent and don't bluff so often that it doesn't work.
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