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Bluffing: A Beginner's Guide

An extremely common misconception held by players who are new to the game of No Limit Hold Em is the idea that bluffing is a risky tactic which should be used sparingly. Many don't understand the nuances of the technique so they are afraid to use it. When they do, its usually a disaster. They will pick an arbitrary time to bluff an arbitrary opponent and all too often a trip back to their wallet is the only result. Bluffing plays a much bigger role in the game of poker than many people think and requires a great deal of poker knowledge, hand reading ability, and flawless timing before it can be an effective tool at the table.

Hollywood would have you believe that a bluff requires you to look your opponent in the eye, shove all your chips into the middle of the pot, and sit there stoically without showing any signs of how badly you want your opponent to fold. While that image certainly is dramatic, it doesn't accurately depict the many different types of bluffs available to a player, nor does it show just how often a talented poker player uses these different bluffs to his or her advantage.

Bluffing simply means making a bet or a raise when you know that you are not likely to have the best hand. It is a common tactic that occurs, in some form, nearly every hand.

But before you can understand the "how" and "when" of bluffing you must first understand the "why." There are many different reasons to bluff, all of which require a different set of circumstances.

Sometimes a bluff is used to gain information about an opponent. Early in a hand, before the turn and river cards have come and the hand has begun to be defined, finding out how strong your opponent's hand is crucial to surviving in the game. The earlier you can get an idea of what you're up against, the bigger your advantage will be. One way to gain information is to bluff. For example, lets say that a tight/aggressive opponent raised from middle position and you call, seeing the flop heads up. You know that this player would usually open raise from that position with a relatively strong hand, but you're not sure if it's a strong ace or a pocket pair. When the flop comes with an ace, making you a pair of aces with a weak kicker, you cant be sure if you're out kicked. If you check and let him make a bet you will not be able to determine if he's got an ace and has you out kicked, if he's betting his pocket pair, or if he missed everything and is making a continuation bet. One option

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