The Art Of The Bluff In Cash Games

Wednesday, June 7, 2006
by Scott Eason - BroadbandPoker.com Staff Writer

I had Ace high!

It's happened to the best of us.  Facing a big bet, you've laid down the winner to someone who in turn shows you the ol' 3-6 off trick.  You think to yourself, "Man, I can't believe I laid that down!  I had a feeling they were bluffing!"  Were you outplayed?  Or did you just make the decision you felt was right in the moment?  On the other hand, you've thrown out some monster bluffs of your own on occasion.  Were they well executed?  Or were you flying by the seat of your pants and praying for a quick muck by your mark?  Let's take some time and analyze the bluff in limit and no-limit hold 'em.  Maybe we can get some answers to the above nagging questions.

Limit hold 'em is like fine wine.  It's an acquired taste that requires certain attributes to excel.  The bluff in limit hold 'em is a rarity in most levels of play.  The only exception to the rule is when you are playing pretty lofty limits, $400/$800 for example.  Most players that play these limits can handle the swings, like calling a three-bet on the turn if the odds are right or if they have a feeling they're ahead.  However, if you're ass over shoulders in the game and the other players recognize this, you make yourself very susceptible to some pushing around.  Rule of thumb to avoid this:  Don't play limits that make you sweat.

In the smaller limit games, $5/$10 to $20/$40 for example, bluffing is absolutely worthless.  Who won't call an extra bet just to see if they can drag the pot?  Most of the time, these limit games are populated by a lower quality player that does not have the poker skill, knowledge, or wherewithal to understand the play, let alone lay the hand down if they're overlayed three times, the board is paired, and there are three spades out there.  Their pocket 5's look like rockets to them if it's only $20 more to call.  So they call everytime, like clockwork. 

In short, eliminate the bluff from your limit play.  Doyle Brunson said it best when he said, "You have to play to the level of competition at your table. "  If you are playing with a bunch of donkeys that wouldn't know the difference between 1 out or 14, you should adjust your game to that.  If you're playing with strong players, bring your "A" game and play, man, play.

No-limit is a whole different ball game.  Bluffing is an important facet of the game.  To fully utilize the bluff, you must work on breaking all your patterns.  If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times, don't fall into a pattern.  Stay unpredictable.  I'm not saying play like a schmuk, but mix it up if you want to get paid off time and again.  It will put more tools in your toolbox and help with your table rep, hence making your bluffs more effective. 

There are several things to consider when trying to execute a good bluff.  One:  What's on the board?  Are there several draws out there, i.e. three/four to the straight, three/four to the flush, paired/double paired board?  What position are you in?  Two: Who are you trying to bluff?  How many players are in the pot?  Is he/she a rock?  Are they faster and looser than a whore at a Vegas convention?  Are they a calling station?  What kind of table image do they project?  Would you consider them a skilled player?  Three: Is it the right time to bluff?  How has the hand played out to this point?  Is it worth the risk to drag the pot?  Have you bluffed at multiple pots already during the session?  How much should you bet to take it down?  These are all very important questions.

When playing no-limit, you should be keeping tabs on most of this information anyway if you want to consider yourself a "skilled" player.  After all, the answers to these questions affect whether you're stackin' all night or reaching into your pocket and feeling nothing but lint.  By taking all of this information and piecing it together, you should be able to get a fairly accurate read on what your opponents will think of your actions.  The rest all comes with time and experience.

Use your instincts and bit of simple math for the intangibles.  For example, why would anyone risk $500 for a $45 pot?  Ever seen it happen?  I have.  Don't be that guy.  Only bluff when it's worth the risk.  When it comes to betting, ask yourself these questions: How much does your opponent have invested?  How much is in the pot?  This is the kid of math you should be doing when trying to pull off a bluff.  Knowing this information can you help you calculate how to much to bet or raise to take it down.

Last but definitely not least, the simplest guideline of all:  Don't bluff if you know/think/suspect/had a dream/whatever, that you'll get a call.  You have instincts, use them.

In summary, PAY ATTENTION AT THE TABLE!  The time will present itself for the monster bluff you've been waiting for.  The kind of bluff that will have them asking the question, "Do I belong at this table?"  If you pull it off, you will know that you do.

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