Let's talk about bluffing

Anamembu

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  • #1
Today, I want to open a thrilling discussion about one of the most intriguing elements of our beloved game: bluffing. Bluffing, or "faroleo" in Spanish, is a powerful tool that allows us to deceive our opponents and win hands even when our cards are not the best. But when should we risk it, and when is it better to avoid it?

Bluffing can be a double-edged sword. A well-executed bluff can lead us to victory, destabilizing our opponents and forcing them to fold. However, a poorly planned bluff can result in a loss of chips and damage our reputation at the table. That's why it's vital to understand when and how to use this strategy.

I would like to invite all of you to share your bluffing experiences and strategies in this forum. Have you ever pulled off an epic bluff that led you to a surprising victory? Do you have any advice for recognizing your opponents' bluffs? Or perhaps you have a funny anecdote related to bluffing in poker?
 
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  • #2
How do you define a bluff, (or what do you mean by the term bluff)?
 
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Gritz18

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  • #3
Anamembu said:
Do you have any advice for recognizing your opponents' bluffs?
One thing I tell you, don't try to bluff in Cardschat freerolls, if villain hits or has any pair, or that his hand can improve after the flop, he will definitely call until the end.🤪😁
 
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Anamembu

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  • #4
georgi krastev said:
How do you define a bluff, (or what do you mean by the term bluff)?
"Bluff" in poker is understood as a strategy in which a player bets or makes an aggressive move with a weak or worthless hand in order to deceive other players and make them believe that they have a strong hand. The main objective is to induce opponents to fold their hands, allowing the player to win the pot without having the best hand.

Gritz18 said:
One thing I tell you, don't try to bluff in Cardschat freerolls, if villain hits or has any pair, or that his hand can improve after the flop, he will definitely call until the end.🤪😁
Thank you for the advice, I'll keep it in mind even though I don't usually use bluffing
 
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  • #5
Anamembu said:
Today, I want to open a thrilling discussion about one of the most intriguing elements of our beloved game: bluffing. Bluffing, or "faroleo" in Spanish, is a powerful tool that allows us to deceive our opponents and win hands even when our cards are not the best. But when should we risk it, and when is it better to avoid it?

Bluffing can be a double-edged sword. A well-executed bluff can lead us to victory, destabilizing our opponents and forcing them to fold. However, a poorly planned bluff can result in a loss of chips and damage our reputation at the table. That's why it's vital to understand when and how to use this strategy.

I would like to invite all of you to share your bluffing experiences and strategies in this forum. Have you ever pulled off an epic bluff that led you to a surprising victory? Do you have any advice for recognizing your opponents' bluffs? Or perhaps you have a funny anecdote related to bluffing in poker?
Playing cash games all the time, I bluff very often because I can't do it without it. You can take a lot of small pots and thus increase your amount of money. But to be honest, I don't like bluffing, especially with a lot of blinds. I prefer to use such a technique as semi-bluffing. It's when you bet with the expectation that the player will throw the cards away, but if he accepts the bet, you can still get a hole-in-one straight or flush and then you will almost certainly win the hand. It's a very effective method in fact.
 
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sidd4rt4

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  • #6
to bluff u always have to open ur hand agresive and continuosly betting hard
 
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Risto234

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  • #7
Gritz18 said:
One thing I tell you, don't try to bluff in Cardschat freerolls, if villain hits or has any pair, or that his hand can improve after the flop, he will definitely call until the end.🤪😁
Fine i will remember that next time i see you in my table during cardchat freerolls :unsure:
 
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Gritz18

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  • #8
Risto234 said:
Fine i will remember that next time i see you in my table during cardchat freerolls :unsure:
There is a saying that goes "A dog that barks a lot, does not bite"🤫🤪😁
 
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  • #9
No one has really spoken about what sort of cards on the flop and turn are needed for an effective flop can anyone enlighten me with a good strategy for bluffs with actual cards on the table
 
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  • #10
pS teamstar practice is played during the tournament; before starting the action you must analyze the villain and if and the moment in the proper game; I don't like to start with few chips or against villains with many chips
 
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  • #11
There is a correct bluff frequency, as you can read about in Sklansky's "The Theory of Poker". Also, for a bluff to be successful and believable, you should only bluff when your range (based on your actions before) contains at least 10 strong hands you are trying to represent.
 
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Risto234

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  • #12
Gritz18 said:
There is a saying that goes "A dog that barks a lot, does not bite"🤫🤪😁
I think i know what this saying means in poker context so it definitely does not work with me - no mercy to anyone!
Even in yesterdays game i made sure that 3 people would fly out in the same hand - this worked out so well.

Therefore be prepared. Be very prepared :unsure:
 
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georgi krastev

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  • #13
Anamembu said:
Have you ever pulled off an epic bluff that led you to a surprising victory?
Jamming the river sometimes is profitable...
Anamembu said:
Do you have any advice for recognizing your opponents' bluffs?
The only obvious one I can think of is that: when they lower the bets on every next street (mostly, usually) it's a bluff...

A bluff can also be caught with a increase raise on every street - but it's more specific (and verry, verry hard) there - you have to read the board, bets, time... essentially everithing (i mean everything), all your attention should be there. :)
Anamembu said:
Or perhaps you have a funny anecdote related to bluffing in poker?
The funniest thing is when someone tries to bluff the nuts... it looks so ridiculous from the side... 🤷‍♀️
 
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BetterThanAvgButNotByMuch

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  • #14
Doyle said to never bluff a bad player. That's from the 1970s. Made sense then and today.
 
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Anamembu

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  • #15
hamon08 said:
Playing cash games all the time, I bluff very often because I can't do it without it. You can take a lot of small pots and thus increase your amount of money. But to be honest, I don't like bluffing, especially with a lot of blinds. I prefer to use such a technique as semi-bluffing. It's when you bet with the expectation that the player will throw the cards away, but if he accepts the bet, you can still get a hole-in-one straight or flush and then you will almost certainly win the hand. It's a very effective method in fact.
Thank you for your comment

sidd4rt4 said:
to bluff u always have to open ur hand agresive and continuosly betting hard
Good strategy

BelFish said:
There is a correct bluff frequency, as you can read about in Sklansky's "The Theory of Poker". Also, for a bluff to be successful and believable, you should only bluff when your range (based on your actions before) contains at least 10 strong hands you are trying to represent.
Good information, thank you for the comment

BetterThanAvgButNotByMuch said:
Doyle said to never bluff a bad player. That's from the 1970s. Made sense then and today.
Very true, thank you for the comment.
 
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  • #16
What level of buy-in do you play.
It pays to remember that manyof your opponents at low stakes are CALLING STATIONS. They will not fold if they have any type of made hand . They are blissfully unaware of what hands your bluffs represent.
You can't bluff a bad player.
 
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Anamembu

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  • #17
okeedokalee said:
What level of buy-in do you play.
It pays to remember that manyof your opponents at low stakes are CALLING STATIONS. They will not fold if they have any type of made hand . They are blissfully unaware of what hands your bluffs represent.
You can't bluff a bad player.
At different levels, I rarely bluff. It's more for discussing the topic and getting to know different ideas about it.
 
jonaselloco

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  • #18
Bluffing in micro limits or freerolls is almost impossible to do.
A long time ago I made a post about the player that I call "serial payer". He is the player who pays you with any card and sometimes even pays you only with an Ace without having a pair.
So bluffing in microlimits don't even dream of it.
Already at another level scale you can start a nice conversation.
I think the bluff is based on trying to guess your opponent's position and depending on the cards that appear in a showdown, you act first, being very aggressive. If you go allin much better, because before going allin your opponent will think a lot before paying you. More when in the showdown there are situations of supposed straight or flush. In this situation I have acted in some situations with very specific bluffs and the risky tactic has worked for me.
Greetings:):):)
 
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  • #19
Bluffing in freerolls is very dangerous because a lot of freeroll players are gamblers or calling stations.
So your bet will be called with any two cards. And sometimes it's the same in micro limits.
I don't use bluff in those tournaments. I prefer semi bluff: I mean betting with a draw for example.
If I am paid I still can improve my hand.
 
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Anamembu

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  • #20
jonaselloco said:
Bluffing in micro limits or freerolls is almost impossible to do.
A long time ago I made a post about the player that I call "serial payer". He is the player who pays you with any card and sometimes even pays you only with an Ace without having a pair.
So bluffing in microlimits don't even dream of it.
Already at another level scale you can start a nice conversation.
I think the bluff is based on trying to guess your opponent's position and depending on the cards that appear in a showdown, you act first, being very aggressive. If you go allin much better, because before going allin your opponent will think a lot before paying you. More when in the showdown there are situations of supposed straight or flush. In this situation I have acted in some situations with very specific bluffs and the risky tactic has worked for me.
Greetings:):):)
Thank you for the information you share, greetings.

lauestla said:
Bluffing in freerolls is very dangerous because a lot of freeroll players are gamblers or calling stations.
So your bet will be called with any two cards. And sometimes it's the same in micro limits.
I don't use bluff in those tournaments. I prefer semi bluff: I mean betting with a draw for example.
If I am paid I still can improve my hand.
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I am very happy with the impact and the fact that so many people have joined the conversation on the topic. Greetings
 
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  • #21
I agree regarding freerolls. To bluff you first need an opponent who will "read" your hand the way you intend to. Otherwise, you cannot intimidate that person.
 
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  • #22
I find at micro level that your bluffs have to be very measured and against limited opponents as there are too many call and hope to catch players at low levels.
 
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  • #23
A great book to read regarding bluffing IMO is "The Book of bluffs: How to win and bluff at poker" which is written by Matt Lessinger. Although the book is mostly geared to live play it has sure helped me spot some bluffs online during my journey.
 
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  • #24
Bluffing is one of the most important components of poker. You need to be able to correctly find situations in which a bluff will be good. Otherwise, sometimes you can lose your stack with your bluffs. Bluffing should be used against passive players who are not fighting for the pot in the hand, and you also need to bluff into the board that suits us better and not our opponent.
 
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  • #25
Bluffing is what, is it possible? I never bluff, I always show what I have. 🤪
All kidding aside, sometimes bluffing at the table is really necessary, but you shouldn't overdo it. There is always a time and a place for a good bluff, and of course it is also important to bluff against a player who understands what you represented to him.
 
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