How to Bluff!

A few pointers on online bluffing techniques to make more money...

Ok, this is by no means exhaustive, but some simple techniques are:

1. Start out bold, and don't let up.  This is also highly risky, because if you've got no read on your opponent you may just be feeding them chips.  However, once you've started betting aggressive in a round, the only way to not loose it is to stay your course.  Any weakness and the hand is lost.  Only if you're opponent has the Nuts will you be dead in the water for sure.  People get paranoid when money is at stake, and if you've got the stronger constitution (or deeper pockets) you can often muscle someone out of a round when they actually have better cards than you!

2. The trap and raise is an old favourite.  This is where you see the flop (or turn or river) and realise you have a great hand or even the Nuts; but instead of betting aggressive, which may scare away an opponent with a weaker hand, you knock.  They then smell weakness and come after you with a raise.  This is of course just what you want, and so you aggressively re-raise.  Now they have just two choices, they lay down the hand and you walk away with the money and don't reveal the cards (thus keeping you more of a mystery to everyone); or they match you/re-raise and risk losing more money.  The question is, if they re-raise, are they playing the above tactic smart and going to muscle you out of the round, or do you hold your nerve and take down an extra big pot?!

3. The long-con would be where you spend a while playing in one way (lets say very passively 80% of the time), but then suddenly have a run of large bets.  Often, people will believe you have great hands (why else would you choose to start betting aggressively).  Its an easy way to wrestle a few chips from your opponents, but also means giving a few up in previous rounds.  If you get called, you'll also have to revert to tactic one or lose more chips.  Not my favourite tactic this, but one i've seen work for others.

4. The all-in gambit.  This is, of course, risky.  If you're called and you lose, all you're chips are gone.  BUT, if you're short stacked and need to steal some chips its a pretty good way of scraping together some more money without being challenged.  I'd only try this is you're stack is short but big enough to present a big chunk out of an opponents stack if they lose.  Otherwise it is cheap for them to call you, you're likely to be called and sooner or later you'll lose!

If you've got other tips, why not share them in the community forum?  Or let us know how you got on using the above ones.  I'll add the best ones here.

If you didn't get any of the terminology used, again check out our terminology section, or ask the community and either I'll answer or someone will!