Lets take an example:
Say you are a tight player in the big blinds with 6c 7s suited. You have a tight opponent in mid position raise preflop, an opponent on the button call the raise, and you call as well.
The flop comes down 9h 5h 5c. You see this flop, and realize it probably missed both your opponents. You also know that since you are in the big blinds, your opponent can give you credit for playing with some inferior hole cards.
You also know the original raiser often raises with high cards, but limps with most pocket pairs. He also likes to make a continuation bet when he raises preflop. Since he is tight, he will generally fold to a big bet.
However, your not so sure of the button, and you don’t want to make an expensive bluff if you have to take out two opponents.
Since you are planning on representing trip 5’s, you decide to check, with the intent on raising if the original raiser bets, and the button folds.
If the button calls, you are planning on getting out of the hand because bluffing two is much harder than bluffing one. Also, you have no decent draws, and probably won’t be getting correct implied odds for your gutshot straight.
So lets assume the flop betting proceeds as you want. You check, the player in mid position bets ¾ the pot, and the button folds. At this point, you want to make a large enough raise to push the player in mid position out, but not so big you can’t fold if need be.
Against a tight opponent who most likely is betting with air (nothing), I am tempted to raise him the pot, plus his bet.
In doing so, we are representing trip 5’s, a full house, a pair of 9‘s, or a slow played overpair.
Lets look at it from his perspective for each possible hand.
First of all, you check raised on the flop. He will ask himself if this is a move he’s seen you make before with big hands? Or do you usually wait for the turn to check raise your monsters? The board does have 2 to the flush, so it is more reasonable you might want the pot right now… but a full house would want someone to stay in longer to hit the flush. Doing so will probably pit stack against stack, So, your bet is unlikely to represent a full house.
What about trip 5’s? Well, this is a very good possibility. A check raise on the flop to protect from a flush possibility on the turn is very possible. That is, unless you always wait for the turn to check raise with your monsters.
In such a case, he may call, thinking you only have a pair of 9’s, or are bluffing.
If this is the case, he may call and require further convincing on the turn. A turn bet can be more convincing for several reasons:
1. It shows continued strength on your part. Most people who bet hard, have it. The harder they bet, the more frequent it is they have it. If he was unsure before, this alone can cause a fold
2. The turn bet will be bigger. Bigger bets from tight players are harder to call without good hands.
3. There is now only 1 card to come, and if he has over cards and believes you have top pair, he has an even smaller chance of hitting a pair by the river. Also, you are charging him more for it.
4. Even if he hits his pair, there is always a chance you are NOT bluffing, and hold trips. In this case, it can cost him all his chips to call. So, you need a big enough chipstack to threaten him, and he needs a big enough chipstack to fear the loss of it.
Be sure you have enough chips in your stack to fire a 2nd turn bet if necessary. Sometimes the only way to take a pot from an opponent is with a big second barrel bet.
This alone doesn’t guarantee that he will fold, particularly if you have a loose table image, or are known as a bluffer. As a general rule, bluffs will be more successful against most thinking players if they are used sparingly. No one wants to call if they all think you “only play the nuts”
Furthermore, you will need to consider how big of a bet your opponent would expect to see from you if you did hold trip 5’s. Half the pot? 2/3 the pot? A full pot sized bet? And how would he expect to see the betting progress on the turn, and possibly on the river?
All this must be considered when trying to attempt a bluff.
To summarize the bluffing criteria:
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First, what are you trying to represent? Not just “a great hand”. Make your betting pattern believeable, and make it fit the texture of the board.
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Two, know your opponent. How tight are they? How loose are they? Do they often bet weak hands, only to throw them away to big raises? Or will they call you down with nothing but king high. You must not only pick a good spot to bluff, but a good opponent as well.
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Three, have enough chips to scare, and make sure they aren’t playing with nothing themselves. If you don’t have enough, they won’t be scared to call on the chance you are bluffing. If they don’t have enough, they will push all in anyway.
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Fourth, YOU have to be believeable. If you just bet the heck out of the last 5 hands, and didn’t show down any of them, you will have a hard time pulling off a bluff. A player with a tight image will have a better chance of bluffing than one who is splashy. Splashy players get looked up a lot more.
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Fifth, it is easier to bluff someone off when they hold ace high, than when they hold bottom set, even if the flush hits on the river. Most people just don’t like to let go of big hands, so have a good idea of what your opponent has before trying to push them off it. Put them on a hand, or a range of hands. There’s no use trying to bluff someone off the nuts.
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Finally, make sure your opponent is a thinking opponent! If the he/she has no idea that your calls make you look like your on a draw, and they will not be scared when you bet big when the flush hits on the river. They are just thinking their pocket aces are great.
Now, if this sounds like a lot to think about…it is! Successful poker requires some real thought, and good observations of your opponents.
However, the reward of such thought is being a winning poker player. The most important part is to know poker is a thinking game. Know that every player has a reason for the way they play. It is your job to understand this reason, and exploit the weaknesses.
But in doing so…you will be able to play more hands, and play your opponents cards against them, which will mean more poker profits for you!
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