Poker Articles

The Semi-Bluff

Contrary to popular belief, most winning poker players do not bluff as much as books, movies and the average Joe Schmo give them credit for. Don’t get me wrong, if you’ve read a player at your table to be weak and know that he is capable of laying down hands, by all means take and advantage and try to take the pot away from him with a bluff; in that situation, a bluff is a high percentage play. Generally speaking, however, avoid bluffing just for the sake of bluffing; it’s simply not profitable to bluff all of the time. Before you make any decision at the poker table, especially the decision to bluff, you should be armed with a well thought out plan and a legitimate reason for carrying it out.

There are many different types of bluffs you can execute at the poker table and each bluff has its own set of preconditions that should be closely adhered to in order for your play to have a good chance of success. The common misconception about bluffing is that you can bluff anyone out of any pot at anytime, an error in thinking that can cost you some serious dough. Sure, you can get lucky with a bluff and make someone fold their hand, but in reality the player who folded probably had a terrible starting hand, completely missed the flop, or was bluffing himself; maybe even all of the above! For the purposes of this article, we’re going to focus on the semi-bluff, a post flop maneuver that can land you a nice sized pot either with or without the best hand.

Called a semi-bluff because the play is part bluff, part value bet, you’ve hit a small piece of the flop and have a chance of improving your hand with a draw. The ideal target for this move is a tight passive player, as you’ll find is the case for most bluffs, because this player will more than likely fold his or her hand to your first bet, assuming he or she did not make a strong hand on the flop. You’ll win this hand one of two ways: your opponent will fold to your bet or you will make the best hand via your draw. Be weary of the tight passive player who calls your bet or even makes a raise when you are semi-bluffing; he’s probably got a monster. Let’s take a look at an ideal semi-bluffing situation:

You are dealt the K 10 of diamonds on the button and only one player has entered the pot before you. The small blind calls and the big blind checks. The flop comes 2d 10c Qd, giving you middle pair and a flush draw. Both blinds check and the player who limped in before you makes a little less than a pot-sized bet and now the action is on you. At this point, you probably don’t have the best hand, as your opponent’s bet likely indicates a pair of queens or even two pair. However, you are in a position to make a decent sized raise, or in this case semi-bluff, that serves many purposes. Not only will you gain additional information regarding the strength of your opponent’s hand, if he calls or re-raises you, but there’s a chance that you will take the pot down with your raise, and an even greater chance that you will get to see the next two cards for free because you’ve represented a strong hand on the flop and your opponent will be hesitant to bet into you.

The semi-bluff is a powerful weapon to have in your poker arsenal. Just remember to set the table before you eat! In other words, make sure the conditions are right for a bluff before you start senselessly throwing your chips around. A successfully executed bluff will make you feel like a king, but a bluff gone bad can often lead to an early end to your night. Randomizing your bluffs is a good way to keep your opponents guessing, which is what the game of poker is all about.

By Garry Gates
Poker Expert