• 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.

• 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.

• 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 cull even
with weak hands. On the other hand, you get a larger reward when you are
able to bluff successfully at a large pot.

• 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 table 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.

• Betting sequences: Your ability to read your opponents’ possible hands
based on their betting sequences will allow you to better identify
opportunities to bluff.

• 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 can comes. A scare card is
a card that could be threatening to your opponents. 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 opponents will
be even more worries that you hold the ace.

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• 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.

• 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 opponents only have to call one more bet, and
they usually have some type of had unless they 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 opponents know 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 opponents must still call two big bets to call your bluff.

• Type of Flop/Board: It is more difficult to bluff with some types of boards
since there is a good chance that your opponents either have 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.

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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 opponents
will fold.

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 opponents will fold and the probability that
you could improve to the best hand.

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

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

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

Your ability to read your opponents possible hands based on their bet ting
sequences will allow you to better identify opportunities to bluff.
Bluffs are more successful when you are able to represent a particular hand based
on the board and your betting sequences.

You can sometimes use your position to identify good bluffing opportunities.
Bluffing is more difficult on the river than it is in earlier betting rounds since your
opponents only have to call one more bet, and they usually have some type of hand
unless they 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, your opponents
know that there are still two betting rounds remaining.

It is more difficult to bluff with some types of flops since there is a good chance that
your opponents either have 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.

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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 Interns than they do in
a live game. The virtual environment of the Internet makes many players play a little
more deceptively 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 opponents are 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.

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