Bluffing in online poker is an important element of poker strategy if you want to increase your win rate. Poker bluffs don't always work however and you need to know how to bluff efficiently. If you get called, your poker bluff will be exposed and you will get much more action in the future. So, before you actually consider poker bluffing, remember the following poker tips.

• Prefer poker bluffing the tight players

Tight players will often be good players and understand what your bets mean. Loose players are much more eager to call your bets so you should look for value betting against them. Pick the tight players that are not so willing to call down until the river card and try poker bluffing them. If they start calling you down, it's time to try some value bets on them too.

• Consider the texture of the board and number of villains

If the board is wet, that is a monotone flop of 789 for example, don't try bluffing your opponents. The more villains there are in the hand, the less likely your poker bluff will succeed. You should look for safe boards like 48Q rainbow, and try a check-raise out of position representing a set. If you sense weakness from the opponents, make an effort to represent a flush or a straight yourself but don't overdo it! You may actually get called by lower flushes or straights or maybe sets that don't want to let go of them.

• Disguise your poker bluffs with monster hands

Always play a couple of monster hands in the same manner as your poker bluffs. In order the best bluff in poker to make you money, the opponents should believe that you indeed hold a monster hand. They will never fold their hands if they see that you play your monster hands differently. In this way, they will develop a poker tell on you and call you down when you are obviously bluffing and fold immediately when it's apparent you hold a monster hand.

• Semi-bluffing and bluffing with total air

Semi-bluffing in poker is a continuation bet when you hold overcards or a check-raise when you are on a draw. Bluffing with total air is when you hold nothing and your outs are actually zero. Say you open UTG with AQs and you get called by the cutoff. The flop comes 39K rainbow and you bet 2/3 of the pot to represent the king, since you expect the villain to hold a medium/small pocket pair or a suited connector. The chances are that you will most likely win the hand, but if he's got something like KQ or 9T, you still have 3 outs or 6 outs respectively to win the hand. Look at the following example (the villain was 21/7 at that time and had never seen a river in the 50 hands we had played!):

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (5 handed)
UTG ($129.90)
Gkastone (MP) ($102.50)
Button ($100)
SB ($93.05)
BB ($241.95)

Preflop: Gkastone is MP with 5, 3
1 fold, Gkastone bets $4, Button calls $4, 2 folds

Flop: ($9.50) 8, 8, J (2 players)
Gkastone bets $6.50, Button calls $6.50

Turn: ($22.50) 2 (2 players)
Gkastone bets $12, Button raises to $28, Gkastone raises to $92 (All-In), 1 fold

Total pot: $78.50 | Rake: $2
Results:
Gkastone didn't show 5, 3 (nothing).
Outcome: Gkastone won $76.50

• Remember your poker image

Knowing your poker image at all times is crucial if you are going to bluff in poker. If you have taken part in the 30 out of the 50 last hands, you are much more likely to get called so don't try any bluffs for the time being. If you have called bets or been aggressive up to the river card with medium strength hands, don't try bluffing. If on the other hand have shown monster hands or have folded the last 20 hands, then it is a very good time to fold out better hands than yours with some good poker bluffs.

Poker bluffs are a key in a winning poker strategy and you should include them in your poker play. Before you do though, study the art of bluffing and learn how to bluff in poker.

Poker - Poker Strategy