Bluffing In No-Limit Hold'em

Things you will learn:

• Why bluffing works in No-Limit Hold'em
• When to bluff and when not to bluff

There are many questions to ask before making a bluff.

Success often involves making a split-second appraisal of all the information and deciding on a course of action. It's part of what makes poker so much fun!

Next time you play, try asking yourself these questions before you decide to make a bluff.

If you could always answer these questions, you'd be unbeatable. However, aspiration is the best you can do, so remember from the outset that successful poker (and successful bluffing) revolves around reading your opponent's hand and disguising your own.

The fewer players there are in a game or hand, the more bluffing becomes an option. Similarly, if you can make big bets as in No-Limit Hold'em, bluffing is much more likely to succeed than in Limit Hold'em. If you want to get a real feel for this aspect of the game, play some of PartyPoker.com's heads-up tournaments. You'll soon find that waiting for a great hand and anteing away your chips is no fun, whereas raising, bluffing or calling with almost any two cards is a great way of sharpening your instincts as well as a real thrill.

If you're in position, of course, bluffing is a potent weapon, as you hold all the power in the hand. If you're not in position, though, your play should be more defensive unless you're sure of exactly what's going on or you have a great hand.

While you've been watching and assessing the other players in the game, it's likely they've all being doing exactly the same to you. So if you have a tight-cautious image, you're much more likely to be able to bluff successfully (and be the target of bluffs), whereas if you've been playing fast and loose, or have been caught bluffing recently, the opposite is true.

Against weak, bluffable opponents, the chances are you won't have to bet much or with great thought to win a hand with nothing. However, against good players, who understand the game and are often fearless, you need to make a bluff convincing and think it out incisively, representing a specific hand and playing exactly as you would if you actually held it. This could mean sticking your neck out with a large all-in or facing a hand you suspect might be a bluff for big money, so there really is little margin for error.

Remember that what you think could be a great move may actually be about to land you in someone else's trap. Always consider how much damage you stand to sustain if you get it wrong and play into someone else's hands or bottle it along the way and make your actions transparent. For this reason, check-raising with marginal hands, making big bluffs on the end and so on aren't recommended for poker beginners. Similarly, you should be trying to condition the other players to get out of line in these ways when you do have a hand.

Whether bluffing or facing a potential bluff in No-Limit Hold'em, this is one of the key pieces of information to consider: If you bet too little in relation to the size of the pot, you're normally more likely to get called, while if you over-bet, the odds you give the opposition are so slight they're likely to fold all but the best hands. However, skilful players know this and often reverse or randomise the bet size to add an element of confusion to the proceedings, and many great players are capable of putting in enormous bets and being equally likely to have the nuts or nothing.

Stack sizes are particularly important in a tournament when considering a bluff. Tournament chips change value throughout the event - if you win all the chips, you'll likely only get about 30-50% of the money, but if you lose your $100 buy-in, then the chips cost that plus the entry fee. As such, big stacks can bluff and call bluffs easily but short stacks can't, and you should play accordingly. Remember, though, that some very short-stacked players may call out of desperation. If you have a lot of chips in reserve and aren't afraid to use them, you can still bully your way to winning a lot of pots even against moderate or big stacks.

It's sometimes difficult to bluff successfully when there are lots of draws on the flop or when you raise pre-flop and the flop comes all small cards. In the first instance, you might get called by a draw or a made hand; in the second, your opponent might stay with you unless they're convinced you have a big pair. By contrast, scare cards can be a great chance to bluff - if your opponent seems to really hate the ace that came on the flop, the chances are you can successfully represent it. The same is true if the turn or river card looks to have completed a flush or straight draw.

This is particularly important on the river when there are no more cards to come. It's essential to your success that you learn to get a high percentage of these calls correct and make the right decision if you have the option to bet. Again, there's no easy way of doing this other than by experience, but this is a great aspect of your game on which to work as you'll always be considering the play of a complete hand and have all the info that goes with it, as well as being able to rule out the possibility of semi-bluffs.