Bluffing
Its a popular misconception that many people think that you need the best cards on the table to win a Poker game but even if you have been dealt poor cards you can still win by successful bluffing.
Even seasoned poker professionals will bluff if it helps their game,they will bluff as much as they can get away with, especially if they can “smell” weakness in their opponents,it is simply another tool that they will use to help them win a game.
ONLINE GAMING
Bluffing on the internet tends to differ to that in a real “live” casino as in general players tend to bluff more while playing online than they would at a casino table.
This is because the virtual environment of an online poker room tends to make players behave in a more deceptive way than they would against a live opponent.
It is also easier to commit your chips when you’re playing online, as all you need to do is click your mouse and place your bets,however if you compare this to a live game,you will see that in a live game your body language is being analysed carefully by your opponents typically during such times as when you move your betting chips to the center of the table or even when placing bets,they are able to see at close quarters your facial expressions and body movements,and these conscious or subconscious movements may or may not give away vital cues to your state of nervousness or excitement.
“He said, “Son, I’ve made a life out of readin’ people’s faces, and
knowin’ what their cards were by the way they held their eyes”
Kenny Rogers
Try not to underestimate your opponents,if they are skilled they will tend to call your bluffs more during online play than they would in a live game, since they are more likely to appreciate the techniques of online bluffing.
Bluffing can be a very useful tool in the right circumstances, for example you may find that if you bluff often,your opponents are likely to call often,so this can be used to your advantage when you have a strong hand.
LUCK
If a group of experienced poker players were asked to quote figures for skill and luck that a “good” poker player might have, they would probably come up with figures of about 90% skill and 10% luck,and they may also agree that the players that are widely thought of as “lucky” are just those that just happen to be good at making their own luck,so the message is don’t rely on luck too much to get you out of trouble and play safe and fold early if you have been dealt poor cards,or as they used to say, “run away and live to fight another day!”
“Look around the table and try to find the sucker,because if you can’t find the sucker, get up, because you are the sucker”
Amarillo “Slim” Preston
