When bluffing turns into psychological abuse

Brigistul

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Poker is not just a game of luck, it’s a test of character. But where do we draw the line between strategy and manipulation? If a player uses aggressive psychological tactics—intimidation, repeated bluffs, or even reading body language—are we talking about skill or abuse? And honestly, should it be allowed to win through psychological pressure rather than the cards themselves? What do you think: is poker a mind sport or an accepted form of deception?
 
bullishwwd

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Had never thought of poker bluffing as psychological abuse, but I can see where someone may find it so, especially if the they can't handle the bluffing and let it get to them.

To me bluffing is simply a strategic move in poker and should be acceptable. Generally, if it is overused, the bluffer will get caught and to their demise. I can attest to this fact. At the same time, poker can be very fickle at time, at least it seems to be. Everyone should just enjoy the game of poker as it can be psychological, mathematical, unpredictable, illogical, but always enjoyable to me. :)
 
dannystanks

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Poker is most definitely a game of deception and manipulation through bluffs, bet sizing, targeting weak players, talking to players to see how comfortable they are. Yeah all this is just part of the game.
 
Brigistul

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This is a thread that has to be posted on a different place than "General Casino"
Ok! Next time I’ll do it that way! Good that you noticed! I was hoping you’d share your opinion about the topic and not about where it was wrongly posted!Doesn’t the idea matter more than where it’s written?
 
Brigistul

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Poker is most definitely a game of deception and manipulation through bluffs, bet sizing, targeting weak players, talking to players to see how comfortable they are. Yeah all this is just part of the game.
Unfortunately, that’s how it is: part of it is luck, and the rest means experience, skill, self‑control and calm, discipline and attention, etc.
 
Marcwantstowin

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Poker is not just a game of luck, it’s a test of character. But where do we draw the line between strategy and manipulation? If a player uses aggressive psychological tactics—intimidation, repeated bluffs, or even reading body language—are we talking about skill or abuse? And honestly, should it be allowed to win through psychological pressure rather than the cards themselves? What do you think: is poker a mind sport or an accepted form of deception?

Part of Poker is deception. The art of bluffing is not simply throwing chips into the middle in the hope that your opponent(s) will fold and not look you up.
There is more to it than that. Various factors depend on making a successful bluff, all of which we can learn from various strategy threads, videos, and other resources.

The game would not be so interesting if we could not bluff or make deceptive moves. My biggest question would be, how do we know if someone is bluffing or not? Would that mean every hand would have to go to the river? Not possible.

I guess if you do find out that someone is bluffing you (so they get caught out), then just smile, and if you are not sure, just smile. The easiest thing to do, and it costs nothing, is just to smile. Also, this way, your opponent will not know what you know.
 
MK_

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I think poker is not a game for the weak of heart, poker is a game of incomplete information... and it can be a frustrating game by design,

it's not abuse to not tell the strength of your hand or pretend it's better or worse than it is, it's not abuse or rigged if your 80/20 hand

doesn't win it just means someone got lucky or outplayed you, ...if we take the "psychological tactics" out of the game we remove the

skill and math and end up playing go fish..., "do you have any Aces?", "why yes I do"...,"ok I have 63".... and end scene😎🤷
 
FastOne

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This is most likely the first time I've read poker can be thought as a form of abuse. And I do not agree with that at all. Because poker is not just about what cards did I get dealt vs what cards did you get dealt, that would be 100% luck and no skill involved. I think you are confusing all of the "psychological tactics" as something dark and sinister instead of what it really is, skill.

Of course, we are all entitled to have our own opinions. Thanks for sharing yours.
 
dreamer13

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I understand that there's an element of randomness in poker, but that's the case with any other game or sport. If there were no randomness, every competition would be meaningless, as the outcome would be predetermined. Sure, there's more variance in poker, but I don't see how that changes anything. In the long run, winners always win, and losers always lose.The idea is that attacking isn't as valuable as developing your own board. If you attack one opponent, two players jump ahead. If you remove opponents' pieces, players you haven't interacted with jump ahead. If you win by comboing, chip damage doesn't affect the game. If you're the fourth person to combo, your opponents have likely already spent their interactions.
 
Brigistul

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Probabil că este prima dată când citesc că pokerul poate fi considerat o formă de abuz. Și nu sunt deloc de acord cu asta. Deoarece pokerul nu se rezumă doar la ce cărți am primit eu față de ce cărți am primit tu, asta ar însemna 100% noroc și nicio îndemânare implicată. Cred că confunzi toate „tacticile psihologice” cu ceva întunecat și sinistru, în loc să iei în considerare ceea ce sunt ele de fapt, îndemânare.

Desigur, cu toții avem dreptul să avem propriile noastre opinii. Mulțumesc că ai împărtășit-o pe a ta.
It is not my opinion! I'm just trying to draw your attention to some things that some people think are unfair. See the question!!
 
Brigistul

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O parte din poker este înșelăciunea. Arta bluffului nu constă pur și simplu în aruncarea de jetoane în mijlocul în speranța că adversarul/adversarii tăi se vor retrage și nu vor căuta în fața ta.
Este vorba de mai mult decât atât. De reușita unui bluff depind diverși factori, pe care îi putem învăța din diverse subiecte strategice, videoclipuri și alte resurse.

Jocul nu ar fi atât de interesant dacă nu am putea blufa sau face mișcări înșelătoare. Cea mai mare întrebare a mea ar fi, cum știm dacă cineva blufează sau nu? Ar însemna asta că fiecare mână ar trebui să meargă pe river? Nu este posibil.

Cred că dacă descoperi că cineva te păcălește (și astfel se face că e prins), atunci pur și simplu zâmbește, iar dacă nu ești sigur, pur și simplu zâmbește. Cel mai ușor lucru de făcut, și nu costă nimic, este pur și simplu să zâmb. În plus, în felul acesta, adversarul tău nu va știi și tu.
Yes! Poker without bluff would be like food without salt and pepper! This art is learned from thousands of hands played and requires special finesse... and it does not matter the bluff as much as the pressure exerted by the one who resorts to the bluff! The problem is when your stucco is much superior to mine (in general) and by bluffing you believe that pressure that makes you give up giving the call with a hand that is...
pretty good, not even the best!
 
A

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When:

You feel humiliated rather than challenged.

You start playing from fear instead of logic.

Personal attacks replace strategic discussion.

The opponent repeatedly tries to “break” you mentally.

The table atmosphere becomes toxic or unsafe.
 
s0ftdumps

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Poker is not just a game of luck, it’s a test of character. But where do we draw the line between strategy and manipulation? If a player uses aggressive psychological tactics—intimidation, repeated bluffs, or even reading body language—are we talking about skill or abuse? And honestly, should it be allowed to win through psychological pressure rather than the cards themselves? What do you think: is poker a mind sport or an accepted form of deception?
It's just like the legal system. Most disputes are settled without a trial.
 
Igor Popadyk

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Poker is not a sport, it is a game for money, and if the rules do not prohibit doing something, then you need to use your advantages to earn money, but in the measure of decency, because otherwise they simply will not play with you
 
aorodrigo

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There's NO sense of thinking it as psychological abuse.

Is it psychological abuse what Sinner and/or Alcaraz does to their opponents?
 
john_entony

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I think the psychological part of poker is a more effective tool for playing well at the table. I don't see anything bad when someone starts to pressure me with his stack, because my counterattacks can let me take more chips than my aggressive rival can take from me. :unsure:
 
Toruk Makto

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When the person is beside themselves!
 
Sos1l

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Poker is not just a game of luck, it’s a test of character. But where do we draw the line between strategy and manipulation? If a player uses aggressive psychological tactics—intimidation, repeated bluffs, or even reading body language—are we talking about skill or abuse? And honestly, should it be allowed to win through psychological pressure rather than the cards themselves? What do you think: is poker a mind sport or an accepted form of deception?
is poker a mind sport or an accepted form of deception?
Very well said🤣👍 ...😥

Some players turn this beautiful game into something dirty because of their deceitfulness.
Well, if you're playing online cash games, you can always leave the table at any moment — if your ego allows it.

But honestly, playing against such players is a bad idea. It's much better to sit with those who are strong in strategy and overall understanding of the game, rather than with rats.

Many people accept the pressure, and if they accept it, it means the pressure works — and players naturally take advantage of that.

I personally respect this game deeply. I bluff rarely and try to stay humane. I would never turn poker into some kind of trash game, shoving with 7-2 just because my opponent is weak and afraid to play.

For me, poker is an intellectual and psychological sport.

But unfortunately, for many people it's simply a socially acceptable way to ruin others using fear and deception.🤮
 
veryluckyfish7k

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Poker is not just a game of luck, it’s a test of character. But where do we draw the line between strategy and manipulation? If a player uses aggressive psychological tactics—intimidation, repeated bluffs, or even reading body language—are we talking about skill or abuse? And honestly, should it be allowed to win through psychological pressure rather than the cards themselves? What do you think: is poker a mind sport or an accepted form of deception?
Poker has both strategy and psychology you can’t really separate them. Using pressure, bluffs, table talk or reading people isn’t abuse, it’s part of the game. As long as you’re not breaking rules or harassing anyone, it’s just skill. Poker is a mind sport with bluffing built in controlled deception is literally the point.
 
margmilo44

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Part of Poker is deception. The art of bluffing is not simply throwing chips into the middle in the hope that your opponent(s) will fold and not look you up.
There is more to it than that. Various factors depend on making a successful bluff, all of which we can learn from various strategy threads, videos, and other resources.

The game would not be so interesting if we could not bluff or make deceptive moves. My biggest question would be, how do we know if someone is bluffing or not? Would that mean every hand would have to go to the river? Not possible.

I guess if you do find out that someone is bluffing you (so they get caught out), then just smile, and if you are not sure, just smile. The easiest thing to do, and it costs nothing, is just to smile. Also, this way, your opponent will not know what you know.
As for knowing whether someone is bluffing, that’s the part that keeps the game alive. You never really know with certainty; you just make the best decision with the information you have. Sometimes you pick up betting patterns, sometimes physical tells, sometimes you just sense a mismatch between the line they’re taking and the hand they’re representing. And sometimes, of course, they’re just clicking buttons.
 
ODRAGD3

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If you let yourself be pressured psychologically at the table, even online, it's better not to play. You need to know what role each player plays before you move.
 
Iryna Stryzheuskaya

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Your playing strategy should largely depend on the type of opponents you have. There's no point in bluffing if your opponent goes all the way, but if your opponent folds his cards under the slightest pressure, then that's a different story.
 
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