Three Important Elements of Successful Bluffing in Poker

Create a Believable Story

When you decide to bluff, you should never view it as an isolated action. You need to ensure it’s part of a story that you’ve been telling with your previous actions and your body language. Put yourself in your opponent’s shoes before you fire off the bluff and think the hand through. Does your story have a structure? Are your actions logical? Is everything believable? If you answer no to any of those questions, it’s probably a bad spot to try and bluff. However, if it all ties neatly together then don’t be afraid to go for it.

Remember, you won’t be playing against children who will believe anything you say or do. Your opponents will be grown adults who should have the necessary skills to extrapolate information from your actions. Of course, there will always be exceptions, but that’s not something you can rely on as part of a successful long-term strategy.

Bluff When You Believe Your Opponent Will Fold to a Bet

Let’s imagine you’ve just sat down in a game and you find yourself in a heads-up situation and you’re in a position where you’re thinking of bluffing. The problem is, you haven’t got a clue about the type of player you’re up against. They could be anyone. They might be the tightest player ever or perhaps the person you’re trying to bluff can never get away from a hand once they’ve put a few chips into the pot. As you’re new to the game, you haven’t had the time to get a read on them. So, you can’t be sure if a bluff is likely to work.

However, if you knew that player was someone who carefully guards their stack and refuses to call large bets without holding the stone-cold nuts, a bluff could be a great move. Ultimately, before you even attempt a bluff, you need enough information to know your opponent has enough of a reason to fold. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a position where you’re simply gambling and hoping for the best.

Use Your Table Image to Your Advantage

The felt is a stage, and your opponents, like critics, will scrutinise every step of your performance. Remember, players will form opinions about you based on what they’ve seen. If you consistently fold every hand that you’re dealt, they’re going to view you as tight. If you’re raising pre-flop eight times out of ten and then betting every street, they’ll either see you as loose or a maniac. The thing is, if you’re self-aware and you can gain an understanding of your table image, that’s something you can exploit, and that’s when you’re more likely to be able to pull off a successful bluff. It’s about taking advantage of people’s perception of you and quickly switching things up at the right moment.