Bluffing on the Internet
There are some differences between online and live poker in regards to
bluffing. As a general rule, players tend to bluff a little more often on the Interns than they do in
a live game. The virtual environment of the Internet makes many players play a little
more deceptively than they would against a live opponent. The virtual environment
also makes it easier to commit your chips since you only have to click your mouse.
Compare this to a live game where you have to physically move your chips into the
center of the table while your opponents are watching you. Therefore, you may
need to keep your opponents honest a little more online than you would in a live game.
On the other hand, your opponents will tend to call your bluffs a little more often
than they would in a live game since they also recognize that players tend to bluff
quite often on the Internet. Calling is also easier online since they only have to click
their mouse. For these reasons, you need to choose your bluffing opportunities a
little more carefully online than you would in a live game.
One final note about bluffing. As we discussed before, some of the value in bluffing
comes from the advertising value of bluffs to get your opponents to call more often
in the future when you have a good hand. Bluffs do not have the same advertising
value online as they do in a live game. First, many players may not notice your
bluffs since they might be playing two tables, watching television, or reading email.
In addition, you rarely play with the same opponents as long as you would in a live
game to take advantage of your \"loose' image. These are a couple of other reasons
why you should tend to bluff a little less often on the Internet. Of course, if you are
playing in a game where the players don't move in and out of the game a lot or you
are against regular opponents, your bluffs can still derive some future value when
used in good situations.
Review
A bluff is a bet or raise when you have little chance of winning the pot if called. A.
bluff is profitable when your pot odds are better than the odds that your opponents will fold.
A semi-bluff is a bet or raise in which, if called, you probably do not have the best
hand, but you could improve to the best hand. A semi-bluff is profitable by the
combination of the probability that your opponents will fold and the
probability that you could improve to the best hand.
Bluffs are generally only successful against one or two opponents and sometimes
against three.
Bluffs are rarely successful against four or more opponents.
Bluffs are more successful against strong opponents as they are more apt to fold a
hand, whereas maniacs and poor players call too often with weak hands.
A large pot gives you better pot odds to attempt a bluff but also
increases the odds that your opponents will call.
A tight table image allows you to bluff successfully more often than
someone with a loose table image.
Your ability to read your opponents possible hands based on their bet ting
sequences will allow you to better identify opportunities to bluff.
Bluffs are more successful when you are able to represent a particular
hand based on the board and your betting sequences.
You can sometimes use your position to identify good bluffing opportunities.
Bluffing is more difficult on the river than it is in earlier betting rounds since your
opponents only have to call one more bet, and they usually have some type of hand
unless they missed a draw. Bluffs on the flop have a higher chance of success
since most flops do not help your opponents, and to call your bluff, your
opponents
know that there are still two betting rounds remaining.
It is more difficult to bluff with some types of flops since there is a good
chance that your opponents either have a good hand or a good draw. Generally, flops with two
high cards, two-suited flops, or two or three connected cards make it more difficult to bluff successfully.
Bluffing with exactly one high card on the flop is some limes easier than bluffing at
an all rag flop since there is a scare card your opponents must worry about.
Some of the more common bluffing situations include:
- A bet on the river when you have missed a draw and you think opponent has
either a weak hand or missed a draw also
-
A bet on the flop in late position when no opponent has demonstrated strength
-
A bet on the turn in late position when the flop and turn have been checked
-
Betting out of the blinds when all rags fall
-
Betting out the flop after raising preflop
Online tells can sometimes give you a good indication of the strength of your opponent's hand.
Semi-bluffs are more common than pure bluffs, as a semi-bluff gives you two ways
to win the hand: your opponents might fold or your hand might improve to the best hand.
When you have sufficient outs to call a bet, the best option is usually to bet a semi-
bluff and try to win the pot immediately.
Bluffing is a strategy that is not very successful in loose low-limit games since there
usually are many players in the hand and they tend to call too often with weak hands.
Bluffing can increase your profits by winning pots when you don't have the best
hand, and by getting your opponents 10 call you in the future when you do have good hands.
Online versus live considerations:
- Players tend to bluff more on the Internet than in a live game.
- Players tend to call your bluffs a little more often online than in a live game.
-
Bluffs do not have the same advertising value online as they do in a live game.
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