bluffing at no limit holdem

[booboobear]

Bluffing is much overrated in poker, or maybe I should say that it is generally used too much. You will be called most of the time, especially at the low denomination tables which you are likely to frequent as a beginner or depending on your stomach even as a more experienced player.

For a bluf to be effective, it has to be a large enough bet to hurt both you and the opponent.

I was talking only about going all in pre flop with at least a K . Yes I am talking about low limit tables but do you think you would be called all in pre flop if your all in is $ 60 . So far I have only played limit tables. But of course if no one calls you don't win much pre flop .

 

[homonger]

I was talking only about going all in pre flop with at least a K . Yes I am talking about low limit tables but do you think you would be called all in pre flop if your all in is $ 60 . So far I have only played limit tables. But of course if no one calls you don't win much pre flop .

Such a move has a high risk/low reward ratio. You are only going to win the blinds, but if you get called, you are risking your whole stack. I don't recommend this play at all in a low stakes cash game.

 

[danmand]

Such a move has a high risk/low reward ratio. You are only going to win the blinds, but if you get called, you are risking your whole stack. I don't recommend this play at all in a low stakes cash game.

Homonger is right again. Your gain is very low, and you will only be called if someone can beat you. It is a play you see by inexperienced players, betting big to winn the blinds. You need to somehow calculate pot-odds, which simply stated is pot/bet, reflecting the potential gain of the bet in relation to the bet.

 

[VERYBADBOY]

I know it's not sexy, and it's not the myth. But it's the truth.

Love the extra info that you provided and glad you took the extra time, but ... I forgot to tell you that I don't like Blackjack, haven't played it in years and prefer Poker instead. I guess I bluffed when I didn't want to or you read me wrong. LOL.

I know that there are many believers and many proponents, there are also many who swear by other methods ... bring a lucky charm, keep a picture of their loved ones, wear their fav article of clothing or consult astrology as to the best day to play ... whatever angle they have going for them I say power to them all and may lady luck shine on you.

To myself it's just a game of cards ... some days you win and some days you don't.

VBB

 

[jockeee]

To myself it's just a game of cards ... some days you win and some days you don't.

VBB

Thats just gambling then. the pro's will tell you that they can sit at a table and only play the hands they know they will win . Its all about the pot odds and %'s.

 

[Ranger68]

No, most pros play THE TABLE not just pot odds and percentages - that's amateur shit. All poker pros got where they were by learning how to play the people sitting at the table around them.

 

[danmand]

No, most pros play THE TABLE not just pot odds and percentages - that's amateur shit. All poker pros got where they were by learning how to play the people sitting at the table around them.

Maybe, but first they get proficient in calculating the pot odds and percentages.

 

[Ranger68]

Sure, but that's the kind of thing that anyone who plays should get to know. That's NOT the hard part, and it's not what separates the amateurs from the professionals.

 

[danmand]

Are there any professional poker players on Terb. I am for sure not.

 

[homonger]

Are there any professional poker players on Terb. I am for sure not.

There's gotta be, although I heartily admit I am not one either. If anything, I know just enough to do damage to myself.

Getting back to the whole math/percentages thing vs. the playing the people thing, I believe most pros out there are primarily one or the other. I agree somewhat with ranger that the pot odds and math are learnable by most, but some just have a better knack for it than others. Similarly, I believe there are some pros who are just very good at reading people and situations, and rely less on the math, although they know it. In any case, I do agree with danmand that for most poker players, learning the math should be considered a fundamental.

 

[VERYBADBOY]

All I know is that you can keep all those percentages in your head, been there done that and my brain continues to do that whether I want it to or not, but when I look up from my cards and look at the faces and body movements of the other players then my brain starts working in another manner.

Over and over again I am making decision after decision based on both those two factors ... cards and people ... I can't stop that brain process.

Everybody has their own system ... if it works for you ... then once again all the power to you.

VBB

 

[jockeee]

All I know is that you can keep all those percentages in your head, been there done that and my brain continues to do that whether I want it to or not, but when I look up from my cards and look at the faces and body movements of the other players then my brain starts working in another manner.

Over and over again I am making decision after decision based on both those two factors ... cards and people ... I can't stop that brain process.

Everybody has their own system ... if it works for you ... then once again all the power to you.

VBB

well then we wont count on seeing you in the championships then. as long as you have fun thata all that counts. sometimes you need to remember to get that brain doing what it needs to do...not what it wants to do.

 

[VERYBADBOY]

sometimes you need to remember to get that brain doing what it needs to do...not what it wants to do.

Thank you Deepak but my brains not buying it and he controls my wallet when my wife and "little" VBB isn't. I do fine at the tables so I give my brain the props for doing a good job and I rewards him later by smoking a blunt.

BTW ... my brain is telling me that you aren't going to be here for long, well at least under this handle.

VBB

 

[booboobear]

Such a move has a high risk/low reward ratio. You are only going to win the blinds, but if you get called, you are risking your whole stack. I don't recommend this play at all in a low stakes cash game.

You are right about that I was thinking more about going all in only if you are last to act and some bets have been placed making the pot a litle bigger than just blinds . However if some body has bet they may have pocket aces and if you bluff with KJ then will they call ? I just thought if you bluff early no one gets to see the flop unless they go all in.
When is a good time to bluff by going all in ?

 

[Ranger68]

In general, it's VERY hard to bluff at limit tables, ESPECIALLY low-limit ones. There's almost always someone to call you, often more than one.

 

[booboobear]

In general, it's VERY hard to bluff at limit tables, ESPECIALLY low-limit ones. There's almost always someone to call you, often more than one.

I am talking only about bluffing by going all in which you can only do at no limit tables.

 

[Ranger68]

It depends on the table.
Which was my first reply.

 

[homonger]

You are right about that I was thinking more about going all in only if you are last to act and some bets have been placed making the pot a litle bigger than just blinds . However if some body has bet they may have pocket aces and if you bluff with KJ then will they call ? I just thought if you bluff early no one gets to see the flop unless they go all in.
When is a good time to bluff by going all in ?

My guess is, if you really have your heart set on making a big positional raise in order to steal the blinds and the bit of dead money in the pot, that you would probably be successful with it most of the time.

But let's run the scenario... let's say you are at a $1/2 NLHE table and have $150 in front of you and are in the BB. There are 3 limpers to you in the BB, so there is $9 in the pot. If you push in your stack, you are risking $150 to win $9. If you won with this move 16 times in a row, but lost on the 17th try, you'd show a net loss of -$6.

As such, it's really not a bad play. But keep in mind also, it is a move that would probably piss off a number of the other players. If I saw you make such a move, I would slowplay a big hand and hope to trap you trying to do it again. You probably couldn't use it more than once or twice at any given session.

 

[booboobear]

My guess is, if you really have your heart set on making a big positional raise in order to steal the blinds and the bit of dead money in the pot, that you would probably be successful with it most of the time.

But let's run the scenario... let's say you are at a $1/2 NLHE table and have $150 in front of you and are in the BB. There are 3 limpers to you in the BB, so there is $9 in the pot. If you push in your stack, you are risking $150 to win $9. If you won with this move 16 times in a row, but lost on the 17th try, you'd show a net loss of -$6.

As such, it's really not a bad play. But keep in mind also, it is a move that would probably piss off a number of the other players. If I saw you make such a move, I would slowplay a big hand and hope to trap you trying to do it again. You probably couldn't use it more than once or twice at any given session.

I see your point it would be a poor move hte only good time would be if say 5 or 6 guys had bet $ 5 and you had few chips left say $ 40 otherwise like you said to risk $ 150 for $ 10 is kind of dumb. I guess you have to look at each table differently .

 

[danmand]

I see your point it would be a poor move hte only good time would be if say 5 or 6 guys had bet $ 5 and you had few chips left say $ 40 otherwise like you said to risk $ 150 for $ 10 is kind of dumb. I guess you have to look at each table differently .

No, no and no.

Homonger has explained why it is not a good idea to go all in when you only hope to get steal the blinds. By the way, to steal the blinds you only have to make a small bet. (reverse psychology: other players may think you want them to call, of course, some are smarter, and understands reverse reverse psychology)

If 5 or 6 guys have gone in with bets 3 times the big blind, you can be assured that someone has a good hand, and you are not going to want to bluff.

If you are short stacked and have a decent hand, go all in before the blinds will force you.