Balancing your play it's One of the most important factors in bluffing is credibility. Too
many players deny themselves this credibility because of the way they play when they are
not bluffing.
Let's say you are out of position in a heads-up pot and a flush card hits on the turn.
You want to bluff by representing that you made the flush. The easiest way to do this is
by betting when you had been checking. You hope this new aggressive action convinces
your opponent that you now have a made hand that he will not be able to beat, and he
will have to put in two more big bets just to find out. Normally, this would be a good bluff, but only if you are the kind of player who would
in fact bet here when you do make a flush. If you are one of the legions who check here,
hoping to check-raise, betting will not convince anyone who's observant to fold. Furthermore, if you checked the flop, but you are a player who likes to bet when you
flop a flush draw, better opponents will realize that you did not make your flush
because you checked the flop. Does this mean you should always check the flop and bet the turn when you make your
flush if you want to bluff successfully? No, it does not. But it does mean that you must
do so at least a significant percentage of the time, so that your bluff attempt will
appear authentic. This is where the balance comes in. Successful bluffing requires that your bluff mimic a
play you will make much of the time, while successful play requires that you vary your
play. If your (competent) opponents have not seen you act consistently with the hand you
are representing, do not bluff.
To bluff successfully, you must have a fairly tight image and have shown down a
succession of winners. Do not bluff unless you have established this image. Never bluff
if you have lost several hands in a row. Never bluff if the last hand you showed down
was a bluff. Never bluff if you have raised and later folded some hands. Even if you
have done so with excellent reasons, you look weak or loose to opponents. Last impressions are critical at the poker table. Regardless of how you think you are
playing, your most recent few hands are paramount in the minds of your opponents. Stay
aware of your image at all times, and bluff only when you have earned an image of a
player who has the goods. Psychological factors (embarrassment, discouragement): Some players, probably due to
proper upbringing, find it hard to escape the feeling that bluffing is somehow
unethical. They rarely try, and if they do get caught bluffing, they feel just like a
kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Opponents can heighten their embarrassment
with lighthearted comments like, "Were you trying to steal my pot?" Bluffing is part of the game. It is not theft, any more than a baseball pitcher who
mixes up a fastball with a curve is stealing from the hitter. If you are ashamed to
bluff, you will have a very hard time beating anyone except the most oblivious players.
More prevalent is the feeling of discouragement that players have when they bluff and
lose. First, this costs them money, and they kick themselves for trying. Second, this
feeling that bluffing is doomed to failure keeps them from bluffing even when it might
work...
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