Anyone who does not play poker regularly probably thinks that poker is a game of developing the best hands. These are the same people who define poker as a game of luck. On the contrary, poker is not a game of luck – in fact, for an experienced poker player, luck only makes up about 30% of winning the game.
Poker is a game of deception. You do not need the best hand to win, you simply need your opponents to believe you have the best hand. When playing a poker tournament, you will of course need some good hands to take down the top prize, but in cash games, deception can be even more profitable.
Executing deceptive poker plays requires a strong will and the ever-popular “poker face”. In a land-based game, where you are looking your opponents in the eye, you must appear confident at all times. Playing online poker on https://onlinecasinoreviewz.com is slightly more difficult since your opponents cannot read your body language.
Deceptive poker is not just for bluffing with a weak hand, convincing your opponent that you have him beat. You must also be able to convince your opponent that you have the weaker hand, that he has you beat. If you’re a tight poker player, and most experienced players are, you can scare away the opposition just by betting or raising.
In this case, you need to make your opponent feel confident in his own cards. For example, if you have the nuts (best possible hand), and you go all-in, your opponent will fold. He already knows you to be a tight poker player who only bets the best hands. Instead, you want to place a small bet at most, or even check, waiting for him to make the first move.
Once he bets, take a moment to decide. Don’t immediately throw your chips in. If possible, look into his eyes as if you’re trying to read him. If not possible, simply be hesitant about calling or raising the bet. Make him feel that he has you beat. If done successfully, you may even get your opponent to push all-in.
When bluffing, confidence is the key. You must first determine your opponent’s poker strategy – is he playing loose, tight, aggressive, passive? Once you know his tendencies, you’ll know whether a large bet, posted without a moment’s hesitation, will cause him to fold.
Even if you don’t win them all, you will likely be breaking even at worst. By executing deceptive poker plays, you are forcing your opponents to deviate from their normal poker strategy. When a typically tight player knows you to be a bluffer, they will start betting on weaker hands, assuming they have you beaten, because you’re probably bluffing again. This is when you swoop down for the kill.
You’ve probably heard that getting caught on a bluff is a bad thing, but as you can see, it can actually work greatly to your advantage. I must point out though that, for obvious reasons, the size of your chip stack is very important. You have to play smart poker. If you run low, revert back to a tight poker strategy and regain a sizable stack before attempting to execute deceptive poker plays, or you’ll find yourself sitting with the railbirds.
