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Favorable Times To Bluff In Poker

I've identified ten instances in the game when you might (or should) be thinking about bluffing. Review this list occasionally to keep these points in your mind.

1. When you have AKs. If you raised before the flop and played the hand strongly from the beginning, your opponents will give you credit for a good hand. They may think you have AKs, AA or AK, or whatever two cards it takes to make a completed hand. If you don't make a great hand, a bluff attempt on the river may still work, because they don't realize you're bluffing.

2. When you have excellent pot odds. If you missed your draw on the river, and the pot is huge, you should at least give a thought to bluffing before checking and folding. Sometimes the pot is so big it's worth a try.

3. When you're playing against good players. An experienced player is capable of figuring out what you might be holding and give you credit for it. He will then make a mathematical calculation, and, if he doesn't have the right pot odds to call, he will fold. Bad players don't do this; they just call anyway.

4. When you have hidden strength. If you're in the blind with unusual cards, and you get a flop to match them, or if you've varied your play and hit a good flop, you have hidden strength. Your opponents often won't realize that a check from you means you have a strong hand (in this instance you're bluffing to pretend your hand is worse than it actually is, not better).

5. When you're in higher stakes games. These games have better players, who are capable of folding one pair or two pair when they think they're beat.

6. When the flop didn't hit anyone. If you read everyone in the hand as holding high cards and the flop is all low cards, you might be able to bluff for the pot.

7. When the board pairs on the turn. If the flop is K>8V3*, and there is no bet, you can often steal the pot when another king comes on the turn. Someone with top pair would almost always have bet it on the flop. In this case, you can be sure that no one has three kings, and your opponents will probably give you credit for them. Even if they think you might not have the kings, you've got them playing a guessing game, so they will often fold.

8. When you're playing against just one opponent. If I have to bluff for a pot, I always prefer to be facing only one opponent. It doesn't get any better than that. Well, actually, it does. Sometimes, when the river card comes and it's just you and one opponent, he'll fold and concede the pot out of turn if he totally missed his draw. But it doesn't get any better than that!

9. When you want to fake a rush. If your seat is hot and you've just won five of the last seven hands, you can sometimes bet with obvious (fake) confidence and hope your opponents will think you're still on the rush.

10. When you're in the blind. From the blind, you could have anything, and most players recognize that. Rather than play a guessing game, especially with a small pot, they will fold unless they have a better than average hand.

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