Blufffing

Ok, there has been a delay, while I was in the hospital. We won't say what KIND of hospital, just let your imaginations run WILD.


Anyway, I don't want my readers/fans, to get carried away with bluffing attempts, based on the recent Cardplayer cover, where that CARLOS Morgensten (or whatever the name was) Player quotes "no limit hold em, it's all about bluffing"

This is, of course, TOTALLY wrong.

Anyone who wants to bluff alot, is welcome at my table.

While it is important to sometimes make a TOTAL bluff in no limit, it must be done VERY carefully.

Bluffing, with NO hope of winning the pot if called, Is a losing propisition, if used incorrectly or two often. OR for TWO much money.

When Moneymaker made that HUGE bluff, with NOTHING, (that Farha almost called with his nines) it was a STUPID play, not one to enter the folklore as some GENIUS thing.

You must be an expert, at soooooooo many things, to expect to get away with a PURE bluff:

Knowledge of opponent, being able to put opponents on an EXACT hand, know what they think YOU had, etc.

And, your image had better be, that you do NOT EVER make a pure bluff.


BOTTOM LINE: The main purpose of a PURE bluff, is NOT NOT NOT NOT that you are actually trying to get away with the pot.


It's just tooo **** RISKY!!!


Maybe your opponent, was actually on a draw the whole way, and now slips the nuts flush into you, hoping that you were on a flush draw, or you will try to bluff!!!

Now, say there's 600 in the pot, and you have 600 left. IF you bet three, the opponent may just well figure that he's getting three to one, and call you. If you make a smaller bet, the opponent MUST call the size of the pot.

So, your only real hope of stealing, is to bet the whole pot, or most of it.

And, if the opponent calls, or was trapping himself . .. . YOU LOSE BUDDY!!



So, back to my answer:


A pure bluff, is NOT a pure bluff, it's letting people know that you MAY be making a pure bluff, sometime in the future, when there's a hellofa lot of chips in both your stacks.


This may go on, for months, or even YEARS!!

Example: you bluff away 600 four times, to the same person. Six months later, you both are pumped up, with 10K in your stacks.


Now, you make the nut straight, on the river, and put your opponent on a pretty big hand, a set or two big pair.


Pot, 1000, you bet 10,000. If all goes well, your oppentent will think that you MAY be bluffing, and lured by your past behavior, and the very tempting 11K, you will probably get called.


So, if you are playing correctly, the PURE BLUFF, is but a BILLBOARD, to advertise your image of loose bluff attempts.


If you master the skills I've mentioned, you may be able to get away with Bluffs, but until then, consider them ADVERTISING first, bluff attempt second.