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.