• 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.