BLUFFING

BLUFFING

In its pure sense, to Bluff is to represent that you have a good hand when you do not.  Or to be more blunt, bluffing is lying.  But to be sure, not all bluffs are created equal.

Most bluffs you see from experienced players are made with at least some chance of improving or completing a hand.  Very rarely, in this day and age of rampant professional poker play, does a player set out to bluff from before the flop.  But they certainly will decide to play their cards stronger than they are. 

For example, let’s say you have K-J offsuit.  The flop comes A-J-7, all diamonds.  You may be proud of your pair of Jacks, and perhaps you even feel, based on your read of the table and the players, that it’s the leading hand.  But that’s not what your bet “represents.”  It represents that you flopped a flush.

Now, while you’re not making a pure Bluff, you have a lot of things working against you in this scenario.  For one thing, one of your opponents may in fact have flopped the flush.  They’re certainly not going to lay it down.  And even if one of your opponents has an Ace – which is very likely against an experienced table – you’ll probably get a caller.