Before you begin to implement the following game tactics, you have to take into consideration that while bluffing is a lucrative game tactic, it can also be very dangerous if not implemented properly. If you master its intricate but delicate patterns, the dollars won't stop rolling in. But, if you blunder, your wallet will empty faster than you can say Jack Robinson.
a) Verify that the cash amount of the pot is not very large. Likewise, if there are too many players still in the game desist from bluffing. You can bluff one or two players sometimes, but more than that and you will fail because there will always be either one or two poker players who play aggressively and do not flinch in the face of an aggressive player.
b) This rule applies mostly if you are playing a draw game, but even if you are engaged in one of the stud poker versions such as Texas Holdem only: Bluff (unless you are playing against only one player and you are sure he is a passive poker player) only if your cards sum up at least to a pair. If the double cards you are holding are not strong such as two threes or two fours, it would be wise not to try and bluff. Again, if by previous rounds you have learnt that the players still in the hand are passive or are running scared because they have lost big on one of the previous rounds where they bluffed and lost, you should take advantage and bluff them into losing again.
2) Do not bluff with nothing. Bluffing should be used to make a weak hand look better but not to try to make nothing look like something. Bluffing should only be done if you hold at least one pair. Some players will not back down from your bluff especially in the beginning of the game. They are trying to feel you out and see how you react in different situations. To fool them you are going to have to become a good actor.
4) The best time for bluffing is just after you have won a big round where someone forced you to expose your cards and you revealed a strong hand. All the players around will start to gaze at you with respect. Exactly this is the time to strike and bluff the next round while they are still weary of confronting you and the cards you hold. If possible, try and play this Texas hold'em round in exactly the same way you did the previous one and this will confuse them completely.
5) Watch the cards opened up on the deck. If there is a pair down, and if that pair is made up of a value less than nine, try and bluff. Odds are high that others will think you have the rest of that pair or at least a card to make up a triple. Use this and bet accordingly.
6) Pay attention to how the other players at your table but and what their hands are at the end. Poker players who only bet when they have strong hands are the easiest to beat. All you have to do is wait till they are not betting and you know they have a weak hand so if you push them they will fold for fear of losing any more money on a bad hand.
Closure:
Bluffing is not very different than lying on a test or to friends. If you are a good liar, you will be able to bluff with a lot more confidence than others. But you need to reduce the amount you lie because whereas in life people tend to believe you, in Texas Hold'em, players tend not to believe you.
Mr. Renaldo Michaels writes internet poker room reviews for a virtual casino portal that offers not just poker but also other casino reports.