Psychology of Bluffing

You've been sitting at a poker table for hours and are involved in a big pot. You really want to win this hand but all you have is a pair of sixes. The player across from you probably has you beat, but after losing the last two pots you’re not ready to give up on the hand quite yet. If you win this pot you’ll be back in positive territory.

Can you pull it off? Do you think he can call your bluff or will he believe you've got a better hand? How strong do you think his hand is? Some players can’t call big bets without a huge hand. Is he weak? There’s a lot of psychology behind this game. More than you might think.

Whether you play poker in a casino, online poker or kitchen table poker, you know how stressful it can be. If you don't play and are just trying to learn poker, then you should know there is psychology behind the poker bluff. You’re trying to convince your opponents into believing your hand is better than theirs. The best poker players in the world don’t tip off their opponents what they’re holding. They keep the same demeanor whether they’re holding a pair of twos or a royal flush. This is referred to as a “poker face”.

There are a lot of mind games when you play Texas Hold 'em and other forms of poker. You not only have to know the odds and hand rankings, you must be able to read other players. There are ways to learn when it’s a good time to bluff and when to call a bluff. You can find poker books that will teach you some of the signals people give either consciously or subconsciously. Some players do things they don't even realize they’re doing, and you can learn to take advantage of them.

Mastering the Bluff

Poker is part skill, part psychology and part luck. If you master one part, then you may be able to get away with faking another part. Luck isn’t something you can control or predict, its just part of the game. The best thing to do is learn all aspects of the game before jumping into a poker tournament. It can take a while or if you’re a natural, not much time at all. It all depends on how determined you are to learn poker. Once you take that step, you can bluff your way through any game or poker tournament and become a winner. Well timed bluffs are essential to succeed. Showing down a big bluff in your home game is a lot of fun too. It’s all up to you.