What is a poker game without a good bluff? It adds to the thrill and intensity of the game.
Basically, a bluff is when a player calls a bet or raises when they feel they don’t have the best hand. The goal is usually to get one or more opponents with better cards to fold. It may or may not work.
Now, while you can bluff at any time in the game, you definitely want to do it at the right times. That is when your opponent is most likely to fold. And the last thing you want to do is overuse bluffs.
That said, let us go deeper into instances when bluffing is a hit and when it is a miss in WPT online poker:
When Bluffing Is a Hit
Bluffing might just be an excellent idea early in the hand. The logic behind this thinking is pretty straightforward. Your bluffing range is most effective just before the flop, as it has better equity against your opponent’s calling range. Your bluffing range’s equity declines as the hand progresses.
Take suited connectors that hold 30-40% equity before the flop against most of the hands that your opponent would play, for example. It means you can continue playing more of these seemingly weaker hands than the number of strong hands you would normally raise for value.
But, as the game proceeds, drawing close to the river, your bluffing range will decline against the hands that your opponent will progress with. As such, you should be careful with bluffing in later streets.
If you are participating in online or in-house poker, some other instances when bluffing might work for you are:
- If you have a weak hand and feel that other players have weak hands as well, you can bluff and win the pot.
- If you have been quite conservative with your game, only showing strong hands, other players can think you have a strong hand when you bluff.
When Bluffing Is a Miss
Normally, if your hand has equity against the other hands that the other player might call you with, bluffing should not be your option. Essentially, if you feel that other players might call with some worse hands, bluffing on the river is not the best of ideas. It is also important to factor in the pot odds you will deliver to your opponent if you opt to bluff. This way, you can gauge the frequency of your bluffs.
Some other instances when bluffing may be a miss are:
- When your opponents are beginners, bluffing is not an excellent move. Beginners might not be capable of reading your body language when you are trying to get them to believe something else.
- When you do not have many chips left, reconsider bluffing. You could very well lose your chips.
- When facing several players, bluffing might be ineffective because there is a higher probability that one of them has a strong hand.
Play WPT Online Poker Like a Pro By Bluffing Strategically
Bluffing adds an extra layer of excitement to poker. Besides, it can help you win money and, most importantly, transform you into an extremely tough poker player. And with this guide, you are now on course to bettering your bluff on WPT online poker.
