Bluffing in poker is an art form. It is a multi-faceted part of the game, as it is just as important to know how to bluff as it is to be able to detect other players’ bluffs. There are traditional ways to bluff in live poker games, but there are also more subtle forms of bluffing when playing online. 

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a bluff as a verb that is to deceive, to feign, or to deter or frighten by pretense or a mere show of strength. All of these are a part of a poker bluff. 

Beginner poker players often avoid bluffing, but this guide will show how to do it and detect it, even how to tell if someone is bluffing in poker online. While a player may start with the basics of poker and playing premium hands, working some bluffs into the mix early in one’s poker education is essential.

How to Bluff in Poker

The goal of a bluff is to deceive an opponent in a poker game. It is done in cash games and tournaments, live and online. The bluff can work to make other players believe your hand is stronger or weaker than what it really is, and the plan should be to do so in a way that makes them act in a way that makes the bluffer the most money.

There are as many ways to bluff as there are facets of a player’s personality. It can be done with facial expressions, hand movements, betting amounts, and even table talk. 

Some examples of bluffs include:

• Your hand is strong, but you sigh when making a call or putting out a small raise
• Your hand is weak, but you confidently raise on the button or from the blinds
• Everyone checks on a multi-way flop, and it checks around. You bet with a strong hand and comment, “Why not?”
• You sense that another player missed their flush on the turn, so you bet strong to indicate that you hit that flush, even if you did not

The success or failure of a bluff depends on the makeup of the table, one’s own table image and that of opponents, and the stakes, to name just a few of the major factors. The best poker bluffing strategies for pros are even more dependent on odds, position, and bet sizing.

Bluff Shove in Poker: Taking Risks for Big Rewards

The bluff shove is exactly as it sounds. It is the act of shoving all of one’s chips into the pot – moving all in – on a bluff. It takes courage, but it also takes a solid read on opponents to determine that they likely cannot make the call.

An example of a bluff shove starts with Player A holding J-4. Two other players also entered the hand pre-flop, each only calling Player A’s min-raise. The board delivers A-2-Q-9-T. When one player makes a small bet on the river and the other folds, Player A bluff-shoves to make it look as if they hit a straight holding K-J or J-8. The move assumes that the river bettor made a pair or missed a draw but will fold to the straight that Player A represents. 

If Player A had read the opponent properly, the risk will pay off with the bluff.

Triple Barrel Bluff: Keeping the Pressure On

Any player can start a hand innocently enough, getting involved to see some community cards, and then misses the flop but bets it anyway. Sometimes, in a poker hand, one bluff turns into a decision to commit to the long-term bluff. A triple-barrel bluff takes that commitment all the way through the flop, turn, and river.

The best opportunity to pull off a triple-barrel bluff in Texas Hold’em is when playing with new or cautious players. You might have a hand that deserves to see a flop against a player who bet from early position with what you determine to be a middle pair. That player checks the flop, and when you bluff at it, they call, hoping to make a set. Even though you miss – or hit something small – on the turn and river, you keep betting because you’re sure they missed that set. The hope is that your big bet on the river completes the bluff and forces the opponent to fold.

This can be risky, but the reward can be profitable if intuition was correct.

Semi-Bluff Poker: Balancing Aggression and Caution

The semi-bluff in poker is not as risky as something like a double-barrel or triple-barrel bluff. It involves some equity, some chance of turning that bluff into a strong hand.

There are many opportunities for semi-bluffs. It can start with a promising hand before the flop. When it misses the flop, a semi-bluff tries to tell others that it wasn’t a miss. Even if called, there are odds in place to hit the winning hand on the turn or river. 

The best thing about a semi-bluff is the opportunity to fold it away on a later street if the hand doesn’t hit and the opponent raises beyond what is reasonable to call. It also shows that the bluffer is capable of bluffing, an aggressive player who is willing to take risks. This puts other players on notice. 

When to Bluff in Poker

Most bluffing is situationally dependent upon opponents, conditions, and stakes. However, there are better times than others to consider bluffing.

• If only one or two opponents remain in the hand after pre-flop betting
• When opponents tend to believe the stories you tell with your bet sizing
• If the odds dictate a good likelihood that a semi-bluff can turn into a solid hand
• When your opponents appear to be risk-averse
• If an opponent is on a downswing and/or on tilt
• When you use proper bankroll management and have only 1% or less of your bankroll at risk in the bluff

There tend to be more opportunities to find bluffing spots in live poker because of the tells and clear indicators at the tables. However, online cash poker presents the anonymity to try bluffs and simply leave a table if repeatedly unsuccessful.

Play Poker Online at BetMGM Poker

New players often try their hand at bluffing online, since they can compete in micro-stakes games and not risk too much of their bankroll. It is also a relatively anonymous way to play and not be embarrassed if trying strategies that don’t work out as planned.

Practice and hone your bluffing skills at BetMGM Poker, a way to play online poker on a legal and regulated platform.