Bluffing in Limit Poker

"You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time." - Abraham Lincoln


As a further "tutorial" in limit poker, a few comments on bluffing.

1. Despite what you would think (can't bluff in low limit games)I see successful bluffs shown almost every day.

2. I don't think that you should show your successful bluffs unless you are planning to really tighten up your play and want to get lots of future action (this falls under the category, be careful what you wish for). It can create a monster for you where people will chase their bottom pair and snap your pocket aces when they hit trips or two pair. They will do this enough on their own without your further encouragement.

3. I see more "semi-bluffs" than anything, people raising with nut flush draws or with open-enders, trying to either take it down now or build a big pot if they hit. It makes sense to do this as the bluff will work a certain percentage of the time and they will also hit their hand another percentage, giving them a net gain UNLESS you recognize that you have the best hand right now and punish them by re-raising.

4. The frequency of bluffs (if you decide that you want to do some) should be random. That is, don't always bluff from a certain position or any predictable timing. That is why picking a "bluffing hand" is a fairly good option. It can be anything, and the beauty if it is an unorthodox hand (2/7 Lynne), the "real hands" will never see it coming if you hit it hard. Think about A/K vs. 2/7 on a K/7/2 flop. Warning: if you are known for this particular hand and you have raised preflop you can kill your own action or not get credit for the big hand you have, thus encouraging chasing.

5. Another frequency thought is that some players that bluff frequently are wired to suspect that you are too. They will often call you light, so I am not usually prone to bluffing the bluffer.

6. I will usually only bluff when heads up in position. It is usually impossible to bluff a crowd as there often are in loose passive games with tons of limpers. Someone always has a hand, or a draw, or a dream of a draw, or a bluff catcher.

7. It is nearly impossible to create a "table image", except long term among regulars and they probably have your game figured out anyway. So, you cannot fold 30 hands in a row and then max bet on a bluff and expect everyone to put you on aces. Just how it is.