This is a very true and simple fact that will never disappear in the world of poker; there is just no winning without the use of deceiving opponents. The idea is to make opponents in many cases believe that you have cards you really do not; whether that be convincing opponents you have a really good hand when you don’t or vice versa. Part of that deception is the skilled art of bluffing.

Bluffing involves much more than just tricking your opponents with the cards in your hand; it also involves everything from your stature, mannerisms and even facial expressions. While bluffing, you always want to make sure not to give away a surefire tell that you are or aren’t bluffing. For many novice players this is very difficult to do; emotions can be very tough to control, but it can be done. However, the toughest decision to make regarding bluffing is simply, when to do it?

When do you bluff? There aren’t many places that lay down just what circumstances make it a good time to bluff. The following list of situations however call for just that; a bluff.

The most obvious situation is when you are one of the last few players in the pot. With less players still in, it also means less winning hands. Typically, this means that your opponents are doing the same exact thing; bluffing. This situation can also be very dangerous, especially if one or two of your opponents decide to stay in and call your bluff; it can get costly very quickly. As always, before bluffing make sure you have the best possible hand to bluff with. For example, you have a hand with King or Ace high; this makes it the highest possible hand at the table provided everyone else has nothing.

You’re in one of the last betting positions and everyone else has checked. Subsequently this could also mean that one of your opponents is planning to use a check betting strategy at some point which would mean they more than likely have a good hand. In most conditions however this particularly means that your opponents are bluffing or have nothing in their hand as of yet. This type of bluff is more common and there is more of a chance that your opponents will call; meaning it could also become a very costly bluff.

When the first three cards of the flop are terrible; or provide no good possible hands. If the flop is bad; this generally means that everyone has a bad hand unless of course they drew a pair. Keep in mind however the hands around the table could get more powerful with later flops; meaning this type of bluff should not be prolonged or backed with large bets. It wouldn’t be smart of a bluffing player to be persistent in this situation either; if an opponent bets large then you should probably drop out.

You bet big pre-flop and then miss after the cards drop. This situation is one to be decided heavily on beforehand. The other opponents will not know you missed; and if you keep betting in the sense of a bluff they may even fall for it and think you hit a jackpot. This can get extremely dangerous however if you are called; or an opponent believes you are bluffing. Many a player has been knocked out because they did not fold while they still had chips in their stack.

When all but a few opponents have folded pre-flop. This generally means one of two things; the opponents that are still in either have a very good hand, or they are heavily bluffing. This situation can be tough to gauge in many cases and should only be followed when the opponents that are still in are tight with their stacks; meaning this bluff should never be pursued against aggressive opponents.

You’re opponents are tight with their money. This type of bluff should not be used to gain a profit however, but merely to learn the type of opponents you are up against. Only bet enough to remain in to the end, and don’t raise the stakes unless you are sure of a very good hand. As mentioned before this type of bluff should be used to decipher the type of opponents at the table; aggressive, passive, heavy betters, etc. This will allow you to see if they bet only when they have a good hand or if they bet more frequently. It is always important to know what you are up against in the game of poker.

On the river, as a last resort. This certainly is not a bluff to be used if your stack is low; or if you are in danger of dropping out of the game. It should also be heavily thought out. In most cases by the river opponents have acquired higher hands; winning hands. This instance should not be used often and is not common, except in novices who have no grasp of the sport. If you bet big and miss on the river, then there is a chance you may be able to push your opponents into believing you still did acquire a good hand. As with the other types of bluffs this is dangerous; but it is more than likely the most dangerous bluff especially if your opponents call or raise the bet.

When there is a pair on the board. In many situations a pair on the board would mean that another player has a three of a kind or two pair. This situation is also one that should be pursued with extreme care however; especially if an opponent calls or bets. They could be bluffing as well, or they could certainly have what you are pretending to have in your hand. If an opponent calls, then raising the bet even more would not be recommended.

As you can see with all these types of bluffs, bluffing in general is dangerous if a player is not aware of what they, and their opponents, are doing. A bluff requires a very high understanding of the game of poker and is not to be used fluently and absent-mindedly. More importantly a good player should always assess the situation completely before deciding to lay chips down based on a lie. Then again, a poker game cannot be won without the use of bluffing somewhere; poker is the ultimate form of deception.