Here is a guide on how to bluff in online poker like a pro and increase your chances of winning.
In a perfect world, having the best poker hand would win you the game every time. Sadly, you need something extra to get to the showdown and take home the pot, in this case, deception and the all-so-famous bluff. The bluff is designed to “scare” your opponents out of the pot by convincing them that you have the better hand even when you don’t. As a beginner, this can seem difficult to do.
If you are planning on bluffing, you don’t want to try your luck on games that draw many players like jackpots and 8-person tournaments. A good bluff should be customized to your opponent and their style of play, which means you need to narrow the field significantly. You cannot expect to read and deceive eight players but you may be able to get away with bluffing two or three. Also, your marginal hand has a better chance of being ahead if there are fewer players at the table.
Study Your Opponent
Once you whittle down the field, you need to study your opponents to understand how they play. Track their decisions over the first few hands to get a sense of their strategy. This is typically easier to do in a live casino game but you can also study player movements in other formats. Essentially, you want weak-passive poker players that easily fold to more aggressive strategies. These players will be easier to bluff. However, if your table is teeming with aggressive players that often re-raise, it might not be a good time to bluff, especially if you are still a beginner.
Show Your Bluff
The art of the bluff is over-representing your hand while trying to read what your opponent has. If you can “bully” your opponent into folding, you are one step closer to the pot. But if your bluff flops, you should not shy away from showing your hand at the showdown. Doing so will give you some status over the players that folded since they will see how you stole the pot. It can set an image for the next game.
Practice the Semi-Bluff
The semi-bluff is an essential part of the bluff. It refers to a not-so-good hand that has the potential to get better once you reach the river. If you are playing against a weak poker player, you may be able to pull off a full bluff with a poor hand. However, a semi-bluff can work against slightly stronger opponents. It can force weak players off the pot. As the field narrows down, it can also connect with your outs to strengthen your hand as you get closer to the showdown.
Use the False Tell
As mentioned, bluffing is all about deception. You want to convince your opponent not to keep playing. To do this, you need to project false tells. You can usually do this at a physical game by appearing cocky, smiling, adopting a confident sitting posture, and more. Online, however, you do not have the luxury of subtlety. Your best bet is to make small talk to slyly psych out your opponent. Find statements that suggest you have a strong hand.
Conclusion
It can be argued that bluffing is easier to do in traditional poker because you can use body language and facial cues to psych out your opponent. However, it is possible to bluff in online poker too. In fact, it involves most of the steps you would take in a physical game – narrowing down the field, studying your opponent, and false tells. However, in online Betway poker variations, you need to be more brazen – but not obvious – with your table talk. You also need to establish yourself as an aggressive player.
