Five Bluffs you can make Today

Need some help getting started? Fine, here are five bluffs you can make today.

Anytime the flop includes a pair, throw out a medium sized bet. If someone raises you, fold immediately.

Anytime the betting hasn't been strong on the turn, and the river card is 2-8, throw out a medium sized bet. Most people were probably dissapointed with the river, holding onto an A or K hoping to pair it, or holding a low pair. A medium or large bet and they'll fold like laundry.

I was amazed at how many times I could steal the pot AT the river.

Anytime a pf -- possible flush-- appears on the board, throw out a medium or large bet. At least half the time everyone else will immediately fold. The other half -- you lose!

Ditto for a ps -- possible straight -- when there's no royalty, and no pf on the board.

Anytime the board goes around twice with only small bets, toss out a good sized bet and see what happens.

Exploratory bluffing. There's A-K-x on the flop. You hold a King. Toss out a large bet and see if anyone calls. Better to find out NOW than let them slow-play you all the way to the river.

Absolute insane bluffing. Anytime there's no royalty at all in the flop, throw out a huge bet regardless of what's in your hand. Most players will assume you're working on a pocket pair. This works better if you raised pre-flop.


But when will and won't these bluffs work? Clearly, if you're losing, they're not gonna work. Bad karma or whatever. Do it when you're mentally "up."

Don't bluff for a LONG WHILE after you get caught at it. for some reason non-bluffers can't stand bluffers, and will sacrifice life and limb to catch you out a 2nd time.

Obviously, the fewer players you're up against, the less the chance one of THEM actually has the card matching the pair on the flop, or the pf.

Dart-throwing, coin-tossing, bingo, whatever you want to call it. You match high card on the flop (A-K, whatever) and go all in, or nearly so. Wild players use this technique to double their bankroll at the beginning of play. 70% of the time, the best hand at the flop remains the best hand at the river. But that 30% can be deadly.