Internet Texas Hold'em: Winning Poker Playing Strategies from an Internet Pro

Read a Chapter:  Bluffing

Bluffing is one of the most famous of all poker concepts. A bluff is a bet or raise when you have little chance of winning the pot if you are called. For example, you hold 6¨ 5¨ with a Q¨ T¨ 8© Aª board. A 2© falls on the river and you bet. This is a bluff, as you have no chance of winning the pot if someone calls. A semi-bluff is a bet or raise in which, if called, you probably do not have the best hand, but you could improve to the best hand. Let’s look first at pure bluffs. 

Bluffing is profitable when your pot odds are better than the odds that your opponent will fold. For example, if you feel there is a 20% chance that your opponent will fold, then a $2 bet is profitable if the pot is greater than $8. The key to bluffing successfully is your ability in determining the probability that your opponent will fold. 

Let’s discuss several factors when considering a bluff: 

Ÿ Number of opponents: Bluffs are generally only successful against one or two opponents and sometimes against three. Bluffs are rarely successful against four or more opponents.

Ÿ Type of opponent: It is easier to bluff against strong players than maniacs or weak players. Strong players are capable of folding mediocre hands. Maniacs and poor players call too often with weak hands, so it is more difficult to get them to fold. 

Ÿ Size of pot: The larger the pot, the harder it is to bluff successfully. Your opponents are getting better pot odds so they are more likely to call even with weak hands. On the other hand, you get a larger reward when you are able to bluff successfully at a large pot. 

Ÿ Table image: Loose players play a lot of hands and tend to bluff a lot, while tight players play few hands and generally only bet when they have a strong hand. Bluffs have a higher chance of success when you have a tight table image, since your opponents will tend to back off when you bet. If you have a loose image, more opponents will tend to call you with weak hands. If you recently were “caught” trying to bluff, this may also make it more difficult to bluff successfully. 

Ÿ Betting sequences: Your ability to read your opponent’s possible hands based on his betting sequences will allow you to better identify opportunities to bluff. 

Ÿ Representation of a particular hand: Bluffs are more successful when you are able to represent a particular hand based on the board and your betting sequences. This is especially true when a scare card comes. A scare card is a card that could be threatening to your opponent. For example, an ace comes on the turn and you bet or raise representing a pair of aces. This kind of play works especially well if you raised preflop, since your opponent will be even more worried that you hold the ace. 

Ÿ Position: You can sometimes use your position to identify good bluffing opportunities. For example, a common bluffing opportunity is to bet in last position when everyone has checked. Another bluffing opportunity is to bet out from the blinds when all rags, cards lower than a 9, or a small pair flops. 

Ÿ Early versus late betting rounds: Bluffing is more difficult on the river than it is on earlier betting rounds, although you get a larger reward when you are successful. On the river, your opponent only has to call one more bet, and he usually has some type of hand unless he has missed a draw. 

Bluffs on the flop, especially in tight games, are much more common. First, many flops do not help your opponents so a bet can often win the pot. Second, to call your bluff, your opponent knows that there are still two betting rounds remaining making it expensive to call down to the river. When your bluffs don’t work on the flop, they still have a chance of working on the turn since your opponent must still call two big bets to call your bluff. 

Ÿ Type of Flop/Board: It is more difficult to bluff with some types of boards since there is a good chance that your opponent either has a good hand or a good draw. For example, it is difficult to bluff with several high cards on the flop, since it is likely that your opponents hold either a pair or a straight draw. Two or three cards that are connected or one-gapped also make straight draws more likely. Two-suited flops add dangers of flush draws. 

Let’s look at some examples. Rainbow flops, flops of three different suits, such as J§ 6¨ 4ª or A© 9ª 3§, are good flops to try bluffing against one or two opponents. If your opponent hasn’t hit top pair, a bluff might be successful. A flop of T98 is a dangerous flop, especially against two or more opponents. It is very likely that your opponents have either a pair or a strong draw. In fact, the only hand an opponent could hold with two high cards that doesn’t have either a pair or a draw to a straight is AK!

Advanced Concept: Bluffing with exactly one high card on the flop is sometimes easier than bluffing at an all rag flop since there is a scare card your opponent must worry about.

Sometimes it is difficult to bluff at an all rag flop since your opponents are more inclined to call with low to medium pairs or with two overcards; however, a flop with just one high card gives you an opportunity to get them to fold. For example, if the flop is Q86, some opponents will fold medium pairs, and your opponents can’t have two overcards unless they specifically hold AK. A flop of 862 is less threatening to your opponents since they will often have two overcards and they may think a weak middle pair is good. If there are two high cards on the flop, bluffing again becomes more difficult since there is an increased chance that your opponents hold a decent hand. 

Let’s look at some of the more common bluffing situations:

Ÿ A bet on the river when you have missed a draw - Sometimes you are betting or calling with a flush or straight draw and do not hit on the river. If you suspect that your opponent does not have a strong hand or has missed a draw also, a bet on the river can sometimes win the pot.

Ÿ A bet on the flop in late position when no opponent has demonstrated strength - Whenever you are in late position and everyone has checked, a bluff should be considered since all of your opponents have indicated weakness. Success depends on the likelihood that an opponent is planning to check-raise or that an opponent might call with a medium holding or a drawing hand.

Ÿ A bet on the turn in late position when the flop and turn have been checked - Related to the above, if you are in late position and both the flop and turn have been checked, betting is sometimes obligatory as a bluff since no opponent has shown any strength, especially against one or two opponents.

Ÿ Betting out of the blinds when all rags fall - Whenever you are in the blinds and all rags flop, you have a bluffing situation if your opponents are unlikely to hold low cards. For example, a solid early position player is the only caller and you are in the big blind with an 863 flop. Betting out with any hand has a decent chance of winning. 

Ÿ Betting out the flop after raising preflop - One of the reasons you raise preflop is to take control of the hand and put the burden on your opponent to improve on the flop. AK is a great starting hand, but will only improve on the flop about 33% of the time; therefore, much of your profit comes from raising preflop and representing a stronger hand on the flop. In many cases, especially against a lone opponent, betting is almost automatic on the flop to see how your opponent reacts. 

Internet Tip: Some players give online tells, which might indicate if their hand is weak or not by the speed at which they bet. If you find a tell from one of your opponents indicating a weak hand, you can bet hoping to win the pot as a bluff. On the other hand, if they are strong, you can either fold or check to take a free card. These types of tells are discussed in more detail in the Online Tells chapter of the book. 

Semi-bluffs

You will find that pure bluffs are not too common, because the only way to win is for your opponents to fold. Semi-bluffs on the other hand give you two ways to win. A semi-bluff is a bet or raise in which, if called, you probably do not have the best hand, but you could improve to the best hand. For example, you hold A5 on a flop of QT5. If you bet and are called, you are probably beaten; however, you have five outs that could possibly improve your hand to the winning hand. Another example of a semi-bluff is to bet or raise a flush draw. You hope to win the pot immediately, but if you are called you still have outs to improve your hand. 

Semi-bluffs become profitable by the combination of the probability that your opponent will fold and the probability that you could improve to the best hand. In many cases, if you have enough outs for calling a bet anyway, it is best to go ahead and try to win the pot with a semi-bluff bet. 

Let’s look at a few examples of possible semi-bluffs:

Ÿ You are in the big blind with 6§ 7¨. There is one early caller and one late caller. The flop is K¨ 5ª 4©. This is a good time to try a semi-bluff and bet out. If they call or raise, you still have eight outs to a straight.

Ÿ You open for a raise with K§ Q§ from early position. Two players in late position call as well as the big blind. Four players see the flop of A§ T¨ 5§. This flop is relatively scary as there are two high cards including an ace that many opponents will play. Usually it is difficult to get three opponents to fold; however, you are going to play this hand to the river in any case with so many outs, so go ahead and bet to try and win the pot immediately. Strong opponents may fold their gut-shot draws and even a pair of aces with a weak kicker, so there is some chance of success. The only risk in betting out is the risk of a raise, especially if the raise drives out the remaining opponents. By betting, you either want everyone to fold or everyone to call. 

Ÿ You call in early position with A¨ T¨ and the button and big blind call. The flop is Q§ T© 4ª. The big blind checks. A semi-bluff bet is usually correct in this situation. You should bet hoping that your opponents fold, but if they call or raise, you still have five outs that could improve your hand. Note that even if one opponent calls, you still might have the best hand as they could have a straight draw or a pair of T’s with a weak kicker.

Ÿ You call in early position with Q¨ J¨ and the next opponent raises. There are two late callers along with the big blind for five total players. The flop is A¨ 8¨ 5§. The big blind checks. What should you do? You should just check in this case. It is very unlikely that all four opponents will fold when the pot was raised preflop, especially with the A¨ on the flop. The problem with betting here is that the preflop raiser acts next and could raise, driving out the remaining opponents. Checking keeps as many players in the hand as possible, which improves your implied odds. Check-raising becomes an option once three players have already called the flop bet. 

One important note about bluffing. Bluffing is a strategy that is not very successful in loose low-limit games. First, you generally need a good hand to showdown since there are many players playing each hand. Second, a lot of weak players at the low limits call too often with poor hands, so it is difficult to get them to fold. At higher limits, there usually are better players who will sometimes fold their medium holdings when faced with a bet or raise. If you insist on bluffing a lot, low-limit Hold’em games are probably not the game for you. Most of the money you earn at the lower limits against weak players comes from playing better starting cards than your opponents and understanding when to continue your hand on the flop. Be careful not to give away your chips to weak opponents on unsuccessful bluff attempts. 

In tight high-limit games, bluffing becomes an essential arsenal against your opponents. If you never bluff, your opponents will take notice and back off on their hands when you bet or raise. Bluffing can increase your profits by winning pots when you don’t have the best hand, and by the advertising value you get when your opponents call your good hands more often in the future. Balancing your bluffs with your strong hands is important to becoming an advanced player at the higher limits.

Bluffing on the Internet

There are some differences between online and live poker in regards to bluffing. As a general rule, players tend to bluff a little more often on the Internet than they do in a live game. The virtual environment of the Internet makes many players play a little more deceptive than they would against a live opponent. The virtual environment also makes it easier to commit your chips since you only have to click your mouse. Compare this to a live game where you have to physically move your chips into the center of the table while your opponent is watching you. Therefore, you may need to keep your opponents honest a little more online than you would in a live game. 

On the other hand, your opponents will tend to call your bluffs a little more often than they would in a live game since they also recognize that players tend to bluff quite often on the Internet. Calling is also easier online since they only have to click their mouse. For these reasons, you need to choose your bluffing opportunities a little more carefully online than you would in a live game. 

One final note about bluffing. As we discussed before, some of the value in bluffing comes from the advertising value of bluffs to get your opponents to call more often in the future when you have a good hand. Bluffs do not have the same advertising value online as they do in a live game. First, many players may not notice your bluffs since they might be playing two tables, watching television, or reading email. In addition, you rarely play with the same opponents as long as you would in a live game to take advantage of your “loose” image. These are a couple of other reasons why you should tend to bluff a little less often on the Internet. Of course, if you are playing in a game where the players don’t move in and out of the game a lot or you are against regular opponents, your bluffs can still derive some future value when used in good situations. 

Chapter Review

q A bluff is a bet or raise when you have little chance of winning the pot if called. A bluff is profitable when your pot odds are better than the odds that your opponent will fold. 

q A semi-bluff is a bet or raise in which, if called, you probably do not have the best hand, but you could improve to the best hand. A semi-bluff is profitable by the combination of the probability that your opponent will fold and the probability that you could improve to the best hand.

q Bluffs are generally only successful against one or two opponents and sometimes against three. Bluffs are rarely successful against four or more opponents.

q Bluffs are more successful against strong opponents as they are more apt to fold a hand, whereas maniacs and poor players call too often with weak hands. 

q A large pot gives you better pot odds to attempt a bluff but also increases the odds that your opponent will call. 

q A tight table image allows you to bluff successfully more often than someone with a loose table image. 

q Your ability to read your opponent’s possible hands based on his betting sequences will allow you to better identify opportunities to bluff. 

q Bluffs are more successful when you are able to represent a particular hand based on the board and your betting sequences. 

q You can sometimes use your position to identify good bluffing opportunities. 

q Bluffing is more difficult on the river than it is in earlier betting rounds since your opponent only has to call one more bet, and he usually has some type of hand unless he has missed a draw. Bluffs on the flop have a higher chance of success since most flops do not help your opponents and to call your bluff they still must play several more betting rounds. 

q It is more difficult to bluff with some types of flops since there is a good chance that your opponent either has a good hand or a good draw. Generally, flops with two high cards, two-suited flops, or two or three connected cards make it more difficult to bluff successfully.

q Bluffing with exactly one high card on the flop is sometimes easier than bluffing at an all rag flop since there is a scare card your opponent must worry about.

q Some of the more common bluffing situations include:

§ A bet on the river when you have missed a draw and you think your opponent has either a weak hand or missed a draw also

§ A bet on the flop in late position when no opponent has demonstrated strength

§ A bet on the turn in late position when the flop and turn have been checked

§ Betting out of the blinds when all rags fall

§ Betting out the flop after raising preflop

q Online tells can sometimes give you a good indication of the strength of your opponent’s hand.

q Semi-bluffs are more common than pure bluffs, as a semi-bluff gives you two ways to win the hand: your opponent might fold or your hand might improve to the best hand. 

q When you have sufficient outs to call a bet, the best option is usually to bet a semi-bluff and try to win the pot immediately. 

q Bluffing is a strategy that is not very successful in loose low-limit games, since there usually are many players in the hand and they tend to call too often with weak hands.

q Bluffing can increase your profits by winning pots when you don’t have the best hand, and by getting your opponents to call you in the future when you do have good hands. 

q Online versus live considerations:

§ Players tend to bluff more on the Internet than in a live game.

§ Players tend to call your bluffs a little more often online than in a live game.

§ Bluffs do not have the same advertising value online as they do in a live game.

Test Your Skills

1/ $20-$40 Paradise Poker. You raise in middle position with A§ T¨. Another middle player and the small blind calls. Three players see the flop of K© 6§ 3ª. The small blind checks. There is $140 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Bet. You raised preflop representing strength. You are only against two opponents so there is a decent chance your opponents were not helped by this flop. Against three opponents you might check. 

2/ $20-$40 Paradise Poker. You hold A§ K§ in early position. Two early players call and you raise. The button and both blinds call. Six players see the flop of T© 9ª 3§. It is checked to you. There is $240 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Check. There is practically no chance that you have the best hand against so many opponents with a T9 on the flop. They will be calling with pairs and straight draws. Check and hope for a free card. In the actual hand, the player checked, the button bet, the small blind called, and the big blind raised. AK is a great hand preflop, but when the flop doesn’t help you, don’t get married to the hand.

3/ $20-$40 Paradise Poker. You hold K¨ 6¨ in the small blind. A middle player limps in and you call. Three players see the flop of 8¨ 7ª 5ª. There is $60 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Bet. You will call with your straight draw, so go ahead and bet to try and win the pot immediately against only two opponents. 

4/ $15-$30 Paradise Poker. You hold A§ K© in the small blind. An early player and a middle player call. You raise and the big blind calls. Four players see the flop of Jª 8ª 6ª. There is $120 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Check. You are against three opponents with a very dangerous flop. I would check this flop against three opponents even if it wasn’t three-suited. 

5/ $20-$40 Paradise Poker. A middle player posts $20 and you hold T© 9© in the big blind. The button raises, you call, and the middle player folds. Two players see the flop of 8§ 7© 5§. There is $110 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Bet. Go ahead and try to win the pot right away on the flop against your lone opponent. Check-raising is an option but most players tend to call a check-raise more often than a bet since there is more money in the pot and they feel committed once they have bet. 

6/ $1-$2 Party Poker. You hold 9§ 5§ in the big blind. Two middle players limp in. You get a free play and three players see the flop of J§ 3§ 2¨. There is $3.50 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Bet. You will call with your flush draw, so go ahead and bet to try and win the pot immediately against only two opponents. 

7/ $15-$30 Paradise Poker. You hold J¨ 9¨ in the small blind. A middle player and the cutoff call. You call and four players see the flop of K¨ 5§ 5¨. There is $60 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Bet. Even though you are against three opponents, there is less of a chance that your opponents hit the flop since there is a pair on flop. Note that with a pair on the flop, there are five cards your opponents could have to hit something versus nine cards when there isn’t a pair on the flop. You are going to play your draw, so you ought to bet to try and win the pot immediately. The risk of a raise by an opponent holding a king is also not too high since they may be worried that you hold trips. 

8/ $20-$40 Paradise Poker. You hold Aª K¨ in early position. A middle player and the cutoff both post $20. An early player calls and you raise. Both posters and the big blind call. Five players see the flop of T© 3© 2ª. It is checked to you. There is $200 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Check. This flop is relatively harmless with only one high card, but you are against four opponents. Bluffing rarely succeeds against three or more opponents. Check and hope for a free card. In the actual hand, the middle player bet, the big blind called, and the early player raised. The player folded his two overcards. The early player won the hand with K© T§. 

9/ $20-$40 Paradise Poker. You hold A© K¨ in the big blind. The button raises and you decide to just call. The flop is T© 2© 2¨. You check and the button bets. There is $110 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Raise. Since the button could be raising with a wide variety of hands, you probably have the best hand. Even if your opponent has a pair, you have six outs to improve. Be prepared to bet the turn no matter what card falls. 

10/ $20-$40 Paradise Poker. You hold Q© T© on the button. An early player, a middle player, and the cutoff limp in and you call. Five players see the flop of 8§ 5© 3ª. Everyone checks. The turn is the J¨. It is checked to you. There is $110 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Check. I would bet out against two opponents and maybe three in this situation, but usually it is difficult to steal a pot against four opponents even when they have all checked. 

11/ $20-$40 Paradise Poker. You hold Qª 3¨ in the small blind. Everyone folds to you and you call. You and the big blind see the flop of K§ T¨ 2©. You bet out a bluff hoping your opponent holds rags. The big blind calls and the turn is the J§. You bet and your opponent raises. There is $200 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Reraise. The quality of hands changes a lot in small blind versus big blind situations. His raise on the turn does not necessarily mean a premium hand in these kinds of situations. Your opponent did not raise preflop, so there is a decent chance he does not hold a king. You are going to at least call the turn with your open-ended straight draw and possibly three outs to the queen. Go ahead and reraise and try to get your opponent to fold a weak pair. In the actual hand, the player reraised and his opponent folded. 

12/ $20-$40 Paradise Poker. You hold K© 4§ in the big blind. An early player and the cutoff call. You get a free play and three players see the flop of Q¨ 7© 6ª. Everyone checks. The turn is the 5§. There is $70 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Bet. The 5§ is unlikely to help anyone. Two opponents indicated weakness on the flop, so a bet might win the pot. You have a lot of outs if an opponent calls. In the actual hand, the player bet and his opponents folded.

13/ $15-$30 Paradise Poker. You hold 3§ 3ª in the big blind. A loose aggressive player calls from the cutoff and the small blind limps in. You get a free play and three players see the flop of Q© J¨ J©. The small blind checks, you bet, and only the cutoff calls. The turn is the 4ª. You bet and the cutoff calls. The river is the 4¨. There is $135 in the pot. What do you do? 

Answer: Bet. An aggressive player probably would have raised the flop or turn with a Q or J. Your opponent is probably on a draw. Bet to try and steal the pot. You only need to win once every five times for betting to be profitable. In the actual hand, the player bet and his opponent folded. 

14/ $20-$40 Paradise Poker. You hold T§ 8§ in the small blind. An early player limps in and you call. Three players see the flop of 9§ 6© 6¨. You bet, the big blind raises, and you decide to call. The turn is the 2§. You check and the big blind checks. The river is the 9¨. There is $140 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Bet. Your opponent’s check on the turn indicates weakness. He may have had a pair of nines and was worried about trips, but he also might be holding a draw or a small pocket pair. The pot odds are sufficient for you to represent a full house and bet out a bluff. In the actual hand, the player bet and his opponent folded. 

15/ $15-$30 Paradise Poker. You hold A§ Kª in the small blind. An early player raises and a middle player calls. You only call and the big blind calls. Four players see the flop of 9¨ 5ª 2¨. The big blind bets and everyone calls. The turn is the 3ª. The big blind bets and everyone calls. The river is the 5©. The big blind checks, the early player bets, and the middle player calls. There is $360 in the pot. What do you do?

Answer: Raise. Bluff raises on the river rarely are successful, especially on the Internet since many players tend to call once they have bet. However, sometimes you can spot opportunities such as in this example. The early player has limped along the entire hand and decides to bet out when a 5 comes on the turn. It is possible he has a hand like A5 but doubtful since he raised preflop. The middle player obviously has a weak hand or he would have raised on one of the earlier betting rounds. Raising in this situation will represent trip fives and make it very difficult for one of your opponents to call. Your bluff only has to work once every seven times to break even. In the actual hand, the player folded. The early player showed Qª Tª and the middle player Aª 2ª. 

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