Bluffing and Betting
Bluffing is an art, especially in high stakes games. You just don't decide you're going to bluff a hand on the river or the turn. Bluffs like this can be read by the better players. The higher you go into poker hierarchy the harder it is to bluff, or is it? Bluffing is a skill most players never achieve, though many spend a lifetime attempting to learn.
Bluffing is something you plan on at the beginning of a hand, so you adjust your play from the go. Bluffing on the final card or the turn and final card just isn't the way to go. Good players will realize something is wrong with the style of betting and most will take advantage of this. Proper bluffing requires an attitude you apply as you start the hand. In your mind, you state to yourself if I miss this flop, I will attempt to steal the pot.

Now this may sound easy, but it isn't as easy as it sounds. Most players don't have the ability to realize when this type of bluffing can be utilized. Obviously, just because you say you will bluff the pot, doesn't mean you will succeed. Realizing or learning when the opportunity is right will help you become a good bluffer.
If only people knew how important bluffing is at the higher limits it would amaze them. The number one prerequisite to become a great bluffer is to become a great value bettor. This can also sound easy, however it isn't. Great bluffers and great value bettor's are also great readers of hands.

Value betting is what makes great bluffers. Having people call with sub par hands means the person is dictating the betting. Sooner or later people get tired of calling with second pair or bottom pair, or even Ace high. This is why the best players are also the best bluffers and the best hand readers. This is why betting, not calling is such an essential part of the game. This also shows why position plays such a great part in the play.
Bluffing is not as important an issue in smaller limit games, as many times there are too many people in the pot and there is almost zero chance a bluff will succeed. In games like this you tend to adapt a style that basically eliminates bluffing. You adopt a style of betting on the come, with proper value. Seldom does an opportunity in low limit present itself for a pot to be bluffed, but the opportunities do arise and those sensing or knowing can take full advantage.
Simple examples of pretty obvious bluffing can be found in many of the pot limit and no limit tournaments online. When flops such as 3H, JH, QS hit the board with several players in the pot and a person from an opening position leading out for a small percentage of the pot, this is a possible if not probable indication of a weak hand. Many times in these online tournaments you will notice 4 or 5 way action. There may be five people in the pot for $20, making the pot $100. All of a sudden the person in front leads out with a $20 bet. What kind of bet is this? Think about it some more, what kind of bet is this? What kind of hand would you have to make this kind of bet.
To tell you the truth, this bet is not even in the book. The person making this type of bet can basically be considered a weak player. Now even a weak player can surprise you. By the turn card his hand will normally be an open book. We have gone down in the rank a little ways, actually a long ways to show you an illustration of a bluff. Most of the time when a player bets $20 like this, most of the players will call, unless one makes a play at the pot.

Assuming most players just call you can also assume most players are also weak. Obviously, the possibility is ever present some player is slow playing, but the possibility is also there this player is giving away a cheap card. Not you don't have to have position in this hand as you can steal from the front or the back. You just call and see what the next card brings. Obviously a brick, meaning a card that wouldn't seem to help anything would be a very advantageous card.

Have a player come out betting 20 again, getting several callers again? This is a great opportunity to make a move on the pot, whether you be in the front, where you check and now raised, or the back where you now raise. You don't even have to raise that much, a pot size bet should do the trick. Even if you get called, it's odds-on the person is on the come, thus you'll know the safe cards that will allow you to follow through on your bluff. Just follow through and don't chicken out.
Watch how many times players make bets like this in these online tournaments. Truthfully speaking, these bets don't exist. They are just pointless for if you are sitting with anything why give any indication? And if you have anything and wish to protect it, you would obviously bet the pot. Now betting the pot in a position like this really doesn't give much away. It's easy to be on the come here, just as easy to have a set. The hard thing or shall we say the stupid thing is to be stone bluffing the pot from the front position. This is a situation that will seldom if ever occur, so you might as well forget the possibility.
However, many people having a pair, without much experience playing this game attempt a maneuver to slow down the action and get a really cheap card. A maneuver that is doomed to fail if anyone in the game can play at all. This is one of the most obvious bluffs in these smaller limit tournaments and games.
The higher skilled bluffing will occur in a different matter, a player may sense weakness from a limper or several limpers and raise a pot size bet, knowing he is attempting to steal the pot if he misses the flop. Now bluffing isn't for everyone. Many players can attempt a bluff but the real bluffers will follow through. Many times players will attempt bluffs and other players will sense this or think they sense this, thus raising a bluffer and taking away his thunder.

Now a better card reader will realize this attempt has been made and will have the nerve or the confidence in his ability to realize this. He thus follows through and proceeds to raise again or go all in, with nothing but his gut feeling telling him he is making the correct play. These are the bluffers in poker, these are the true players of the game. It doesn't take much of a player to attempt a bluff, but step the play up one notch and you have a player that will make a read he suspects the other player is bluffing.

Now tell me you haven't seen this when playing online or in a B&M? Many players like to show they raise you with nothing. How many times have you wished you would have raised them again, after you bet and they raised?
How many of you players have ever laid down a set on the flop playing Holdem, without any flush or straight possibility? How many of you players have ever laid down KK before the flop? Let me advise you of something, if you ever laid a hand like this down against me, I own you. I have seen players think they are being so smart laying hands like this down, their real mistake is in showing this. Obviously an occasion will occur when a player will be so obvious this lay down can be made, but if this player can be made to lay down hands like this, show it also, he has no win.
Have any of you given much thought when a sizable bet is made preflop and you hold AA? Is it really correct to go all in at this time? If you are guaranteed a call, this is always acceptable. If you aren't, why raise? Allow the KK to have the lead and bluff the money off, thinking he is betting the best hand. Players are always far more eager to bet their chips off than to call.

The main mistake made by players who bluff in pot limit and no limit games is the amount they bet. Use this as a normal guide line for bluffing. If the blinds are $25-$50 and you opened for $150 and received a call. If you miss and intend to bluff, follow through with a bet about equal to the pot. Also use this as a guide for betting when you flop a big hand. The main train of thought for betting and bluffing is thinking as the player who's facing you. If he bets, think of what you would do with what type of hand, and adjust to the play. Think of how you are being portrayed in the pot? Think of what kind of image you have?
I am a firm believer in not being big on making big lay downs. The one reason for this is I sense a possibility far earlier in a hand the player may have something. To adjust for this, I slow the action down. There are many ways to skin a cat. Realize not everyone can break a person who has KK when they hold AA. Realize if you can't break a person when he has KK and you have AA, you need some adjustment to your play. The number 1 best way to break KK is to have him bet the chips off, while you call.
I don't know how many words I have written in this post, however I know I can write a whole book about bluffing and betting. Hopefully many of you will get the gist of this post. Anyone having legitimate questions, feel free to ask.

Russ Georgiev