If it was not for bluffing Poker would be a very boring game. Players would simply put their bets and the best hand would always win on the strength of cards. Bluff in poker is a deception which keeps your opponents alert and when done properly bluffs can help you win more money. Whether you play poker online or live you will notice that players who know when and how to bluff are usually a lot more successful in their game than those who bluff too much or never bluff at all. Poker players who bluffs too often go broke very quickly and those who do not bluff at all not only play a very boring game but also make themselves a easy target to their opponents as they are so easy read. So to be successful in poker you need to take the middle ground approach and be prepared to be caught at times. We hope that when you bluff next time you will keep the following points of poker bluffing strategy in mind to improve your chances and hopefully pull it off.

1. How many players are you bluffing against? You can bluff successfully against one very rarely two people. Never attempt to bluff your way when there are a lot of people in the pot, chances are that you will not succeed.

2. Did you get caught bluffing? It’s a good news! Yes it cost you some money but now your opponents know that you do bluff and will be more likely to challenge you when you have a strong hand expecting it to be another bluff.

3. Never bluff a "Calling Station". If your opponent tends to call every hand bluffing will not work with him and will cost you money. Save your bluffs for good opponents and especially for tough conservative players as they are your ideal audience.

4. Don’t bluff just for the sake of it. You don’t need to advertise your bluffing too often. Only bluff when you have reasonable grounds to believe that you a fair chance to pull it through. You will have enough advertising value as some of your bluffs will be caught and your opponents will know that you bluff anyway.

5. Try to establish a tight aggressive image at the table. Most of the time play good starting hands and fold the weaker ones. When your opponents are used to seeing you playing a tight aggressive game this is the time to strike. You will be a lot less likely to be called.

6. Imply a specific hand such as a straight of flush rather than raising just out of the blue with a hopeless hand when the board indicates no particular strong hand possibility.

7. Do not bluff when there are more cards to come. Semi-bluffing is the best strategy here as can either get your draw or your opponents might fold.

8. It is a good time to bluff if your opponents checked to the previous round. It’s even better if they checked on the flop. However if the next open card helped one of the other players your chance will diminish.

9. Keep your position in mind, it’s best to bluff from an early position rather than if your opponent checked on you. Betting or raising from the first position indicated that you really have a strong hand and your opponent would be more likely to fold a marginal hand than he would be if he checked and you bet.

10. If you made a bluff and your opponent raises you don’t try to tough him out. You have been caught, so just fold your hand and wait for the next turn. If you carry on with the bluff it will only cost you money.

To be successful in bluffing you really need to know your opponents and be able to spot those tells that your opponents show you. Poker legend Doyle Brunson once said that he could beat anyone at the poker table even if he did not look at the cards as poker is a game of people not cards. Before you start bluffing in any game take your time and observe the other players. Online poker rooms allow you to observe the table before you join in and most types of an online poker software allow you to take notes about any player in the room so you can have a very good idea of who you are against before you start your game. It is also worth noting that in online poker rooms bluffing is generally risky at small stake tables as so many players tend to call too much and bet even hopeless hands, so this wonderful poker strategy is better used on mid to high level tables.