All of the players here at Juicy Stakes Poker know that it is a lot harder to identify a bluff in online poker than it is in poker at a land-based poker room. Since this is the case, we can say with certainty that if you are a beginning online poker player, you should be very leery of putting any opponent on a bluff.
This applies even in low stakes poker, which is where all new players should be. Even if you feel that you can afford to be wrong and call what you think is a bluff only to find out that it was not a bluff, you should play as if the stakes are higher and a mistaken bluff call on your part could prove very costly.
How Often Do Poker Players Bluff?
Given the chance, we can say that poker players bluff on almost every hand. So, you really have to know what a player might have if and when he makes a substantial bet.
There are a lot of parameters to weigh when we try to evaluate a bet for a bluff. The first is: in which position did the player bet? If the player bets from an early position, we can assume that he or she has a good hand, even though we know that assuming anything can backfire badly.
A very good lesson about bluffing is that it is really hard to detect a bluff even in a land-based poker game.
How Do Players Detect a Bluff Successfully?
A good poker player observes everything. We have said this many times: you have to pay attention on every hand, even on those hands where you fold before the flop.
You will fold before the flop on most hands, but you still have to pay close attention to the hand since there is so much to learn about your opponents simply by paying attention. One example of many is the opponent who does not pay attention.
This kind of opponent is not gaining insights into the poker style of any of the other players. This is a player who might bluff in such a transparent manner that a good player such as yourself can grow the pot without their being aware that you know that they are bluffing.
In short, detecting a bluff is an ongoing research project. The facts change with each game and every different set of opponents. What you knew the last time you played may not apply this time. Identifying bluffs correctly is a major learning effort comparable to studying for a higher degree at the university level.
Is There a Psychology of Bluffing?
There is some thought that there are certain bluffing personalities. As we said above, some players' bluffs are so easily identified that we might say that they are not really bluffing at all; they are just throwing their money away.
These players are problem gamblers in the extreme. If we here at Juicy Stakes Poker feel that we can identify a problem gambler playing poker, we try to get them to stop playing. The last thing we want is for a problem gambler to lose large sums of money at Juicy Stakes simply because they cannot control their gambling.
Some players will actually leave a game if they feel that one of the players is that type of problem gambler.
There are three main characteristics of really good bluffers.
Amazing Level of Self-confidence
A really good bluffer is self-confident without being arrogant. There are a few characteristics of this kind of confident personality:
- They are very friendly. In the chat room, they might offer advice on subjects that they know something about. They might post life hacks or simply household hacks that the other players appreciate. This kind of player will fool the others when he or she bluffs because they don’t seem like “the type”.
- They are good listeners. Again, in the chat room, they participate in conversations but never try to overwhelm the others in the conversation. They demonstrate good listening traits by responding to a comment made by another player with calmness and due respect. Once again, this type of self-confident player will not seem like the type to come up with a huge bluff.
- They make a concerted effort to bet “according to the book”: in most cases. They simply do not bet wildly. They may seem like tight players but when they have good cards, they bet aggressively.
Good Bluffers Do Not Complain
They don’t complain about bad luck. You won’t see them tilt even after a bad beat. In fact, they will compliment the winner on their good luck. When a poker player complains, they give away a large measure of their poker autonomy. By not complaining, a good bluffer retains their autonomy and, more importantly, their inscrutableness.
Good Bluffers Never Go Silent
There is a big tell in land-based poker where the bluffer suddenly stops talking. In online poker, the chat room is the conversation center, and if a player suddenly goes silent in the chat room, that is a sign that they are holding onto a bluff.
Do People Bluff in Real Life?
There is a lot of bluffing going on in real life! Most of us are so immersed in everyday life that we don’t see the bluffs for what they are.
Advertising is very often a huge bluff. When a company tells you that their product is the best ever, it may be the best ever or it may be an average product that they are bluffing you into buying.
Teenage girls are usually aware that teenage boys are big bluffers.
A salesperson may be bluffing all the way. Is the house really as good as they say? Is the neighborhood school really as good as they say? When someone tries hard to sell you something, it is best to do some due diligence and make sure.
People of all political views will see the news media as either totally honest and correct or totally bluffing.
In everyday life, a bluff might be an outright lie or an embellishment of the truth. It is not easy to detect either an outright lie or an embellishment of the truth. Successful negotiations often revolve around embellishments.
Juicy Stakes Poker Offers Great Online Poker
Bluffing is certainly a big part of poker in all venues. Juicy Stakes hopes that all players succeed, so we take no sides in the bluffing debate. But there are a few points we have made here that bear repeating:
- Start at low stakes and advance only when you have become good at identifying bluffs.
- Play as if the money is important to you, even if you can well afford a losing hand.
- Control your emotions to the extent that the opponents never “see” you tilt.
- Maintain a friendly demeanor.
Online poker at Juicy Stakes is a great and fun way to play this amazing game!
