Hello welcome to PokerStars Learn.
I'm James Hartigan and this is the beginner's guide to...
'Bluffing in Texas Hold'em.'
This video will explain why bluffing is such an important part of poker.
Plus, I'll give you five top tips on how to bluff.
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don't forget to hit the subscribe button.
Now, I'm sure you know what 'bluffing' is.
Chances are, you heard the expression used in a non poker context...
before you even knew about poker!
Bluffing at the poker table is all about deception.
It's when you convince your opponent your hand is strong...
when it's actually weak.
The aim is to make them fold a better hand,
so you can win all the chips in the pot!
Without bluffing poker would be pretty boring. Bets would be made,
the best hand would win, and the cards would even out...
in the long run. Yawn.
So, now you know why bluffing is important,
let's talk about how you're going to bluff at the table.
And here is our first tip.
Make sure you play your normal game. In other words, play...
exactly the same way you would if you actually had a strong hand.
If you start varying your bet sizes - for example, betting a lot more...
when you don't have the goods - your opponents...
are going to spot this.
This extends to body language in live poker too.
If you're usually quiet at the table and then start acting like a...
motor-mouth when you're bluffing, you're going to make...
other players suspicious.
Indicating something about the strength of your hand by the way...
you act is known as a 'tell,' because you're unconsciously telling...
your opponent's about your cards.
Good players won't give off any tells,
but weaker players might bet differently,
or act differently when they're bluffing.
So make sure you watch out for this.
Tip number two: choose the right opponents to bluff.
Don't start bluffing players at random, study your opponents first.
Imagine there's someone at the table who hasn't played...
a hand for half an hour.
A player like this is clearly very tight, and is commonly referred...
to in poker as an 'nit.'
If they suddenly start betting and raising, they obviously...
have something really good, so it would be unwise to try bluffing them.
They probably won't fold.
On the flip side, a player who gets involved in way too many...
hands is known as a 'calling station.' Don't bluff this person either!
Most of the time they're not folding, even if they have less than stellar cards.
This type of player is extremely common at the lowest stakes.
So, if you're just starting out in poker, please be aware that bluffing...
will rarely work at this level.
That being said, one type of player you'll come across at the lower levels...
who you should bluff against is the 'over-folder.'
For example, players in the big blind who only call raises...
with really strong hands.
A player like this is way too believing of their opponents, and can be exploited.
Tip number three: Choose the right time to bluff.
Bluffing against a bunch of players is rarely going to work. Why?
Because, chances are, one of them has something.
Your best opportunity to bluff is when you have fewer players...
to convince.
For this reason, it's very common for players to raise from the button with weak hands,
either to steal the blinds, or have the advantage of position...
in future betting rounds, where the other players have to act first.
Generally, you should bluff more at the start of a hand than at the end.
With cards still to come, you still have the opportunity to improve.
Bluffing with a draw - for example, four cards to a straight,
or three cards to a flush - is known as semi-bluffing.
You're half bluffing and half hoping to catch the right cards and make...
the best hand.
On the later betting rounds, you should consider curbing your aggression.
As the pot gets bigger, your opponent has more incentive to call,
even with a hand that isn't that strong.
This leads us to our next tip.
Don't be afraid to get caught bluffing once in a while.
Earlier in this video, I mentioned that players who don't bluff are easy to play against.
Showing the rest of the table that you are capable of bluffing,
makes you less predictable to your opponents.
The key is not to feel embarrassed. Okay, your bluff didn't work.
You got caught in the act, but it's normal, it's an accepted part of the game.
Just move past it and look to the next hand.
Finally, learn how to manage your bluffing.
If you feel like you're not bluffing often enough;
If you find that you're not getting any callers when you raise,
try buffing a little bit more.
And if you're bluffing regularly, and keep getting caught by players...
with average hands, you're probably bluffing too much.
Just be careful trying to copy what you see on TV.
There are many famous bluffs involving skilled players...
in high-stakes games.
But as I mentioned earlier, low stakes games will be less 'bluffable'.
So dial it down when playing cash games or tournaments...
with a smaller buy-in.
Please remember,
bluffing isn't something you have to master before you start playing.
At the start of your poker journey, it won't be the most crucial part of your game,
and should definitely come second to a strategy of...
playing strong starting hands.
This has been the basics of 'Bluffing in Texas Hold'em' from PokerStars.
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let us know which poker lesson you would like to see next.
I'm James Hartigan. Thank you for watching.