Bluffing in Poker and particularly in Texas Holdem is a very useful tool, but if it is not used properly it can be a very dangerous tool to try and use. If used right bluffing can give you the appearance of having a good hand when you have nothing and scare the other players into folding their hands, but if it is not done right then all that happens is that you lose some money.



1) Check to see that the group of players playing for the pot is small. The biggest reason why you should do this is that it is easier to fool a small group than a large one. Another viable problem is that if the players are many, some might simply be dumb and not fully understand the true extent of your bluff. Whatever the case you have to take into consideration that a large group is tougher to bluff. Do not argue. It is simply so.

2) Do not bluff if your hand is weaker than a pair and to be on the safe side, better to have at least two pairs even if these are weak. Note that a player or two will remain in the game even if they have no hand whatsoever. They hope to learn how others play so that they will be able to beat them in later rounds. Such players can be caused to fold if you bluff well. Other than that, always take into consideration that some player will always remaining thinking you are bluffing. So, at least have a good enough hand to beat them.

c) Seating is very important to bluffing. If you are the first player when playing Texas Holdem that has to make a decision, or if you are the last player that has to decide, you have an upper hand on the rest of the players. If seated in the beginning, you can terrorize the rest by placing a large bet when the Holdem Dealer asks you to make your move. Big bets placed in the beginning of a round will scare off those players who have small hands and leave you to go head to head only with a select few. Likewise, if you are the last player in line, you are in the best position of knowing which players are willing to bet and which are not. If players remain in the game without rising the bet, this is your chance. Raise the bet. Most will drop out because their cards are not good enough.

4) The perfect time for a bluff is when someone has just forced you to show your hand, and you had a strong winning hand. This will earn you some respect at the table and the other players will know you have a good poker head on your shoulders. Now is the perfect time for a bluff. If you bet the same way you did in the previous hand it will throw them off and they will be confuses as to your playing style. This will make it harder for them to get a read on you and your game.

e) Since you are playing Texas Holdem, pay attention to the cards that the dealers places face-up on the poker table. If you find that the cards down make up a weak pair, then start bluffing. Others will think you have the card to make up a triple, and will back off in fright.

f) Just like in other games, you have to memorize the playing patterns of your opponents. Some will hesitate, some will bet always while others will think and then make their move confidently. What you have to do is to look for those particular players that are playing Texas Holdem carefully without taking any risks. These are the ones that you can bluff and make them fold their cards even if your cards amount to a big zero.

Conclusion:

If you are a good liar, odds are that you will be able to con others a bit more easily than those who are bad at lying. But note that this is not life. Here, Texas Holdem players are actively seeking out the lying rogues. So, watch it the next time you play poker online or offline.