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Poker glossary

Bluff

What it means

A bluff is a bet or raise made with a weak hand, intended to make opponents fold better hands. The bluffer represents strength they don’t have, turning a losing hand into a winner if everyone folds. Bluffs are essential to poker - without them, you’d only bet strong hands and opponents would simply fold whenever you showed aggression.

How it works at the table

You’re playing $1/$2 with 100bb stacks. On the button, you raise to $6 with 7♠ 6♠. The big blind calls. The flop comes K♣ Q♦ 3♥ - completely missing your hand. The big blind checks. You continuation bet $8 into the $13 pot, representing a king or queen. Your opponent folds their J♦ T♦, and you win with seven-high. This works because your preflop raise and flop bet tell a consistent story about having a strong hand.

Strategic context

Successful bluffing requires careful board reading and opponent awareness. The best bluffs target specific hands in your opponent’s range that can’t call. Board texture matters enormously - dry boards like K♣ 7♦ 2♠ favor the preflop aggressor, while coordinated boards like 9♥ 8♥ 7♠ make bluffs riskier. Your table image affects bluff success too. Tight players get more credit when they bet, while loose players face more skepticism.

Common mistakes

Players often bluff too frequently against calling stations who rarely fold. Another error is bluffing without considering what hands you’re representing - random stabs at pots look suspicious. Sizing mistakes hurt too: many players make their bluffs too small, giving opponents correct pot odds to call with marginal hands. Beginners also bluff in multiway pots where someone usually has a real hand.

Pure bluffs have almost no chance of winning at showdown, while semi-bluffs have outs to improve. Fold equity measures how often your bluff needs to work to be profitable. Balance matters in advanced play - you need some bluffs to get paid on your value bets. Understanding blockers helps too: holding the A♠ when bluffing a spade flush makes it less likely your opponent has the nuts.