Bluffing Tips

Poker Bluffing seems simple on the surface, bet out with nothing and your opponent folds! Those who study poker strategy know that the reality is actually more complex. The success of your bluffing actually depends on a number of factors which are usually overlooked by novices.

There are many types of bluff in poker, these include the 'semi-bluff', 'call-bluff', 'check-raise bluff' and the 'continuation bet'. This article look at a very specific and potentially profitable bluffing style called the 'Post Oak Bluff'.

The idea behind the Post Oak Bluff is that you are representing a hand that actually wants your opponent to call. From your opponents perspective they are being offered ultra-attractive odds to call on the river. If you succeed here your opponent will be so suspicious of your small bet (as it looks too much like you want to be called) that they actually fold. Do not start betting small on the river without a hand just yet - things are a little more complex than that!

The success of all kinds of bluff in poker rests on telling your opponent(s) a convincing story about what hand you hold with your bets and raises throughout the hand. If your bets make sense in relation to a particular hand (for example a flush) then you will win with a bluff more often than you lose. If your bets and raises apparently make no sense - for example not betting throughout the hand and suddenly going all-in on the river - then you are less likely to succeed.