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Poker Strategy: Following Through On Your Bluffs

Copyright © 2007, RealPokerLessons.com

When it comes to poker strategy, winning players know that you have to bluff. It is just an essential part of the game since you can't depend on the cards all the time. But what do you do when someone bluffs you back?

I've found myself in a few situations where I tried to make a move on a person when the opportunity was right. For example, I was in the big blind and it was checked down to me and the flop came 336 for example. This is a perfect opportunity for me to bluff especially if the board has two of the same suit. The reason is, it looks like I have a 2 in my hand and that I'm concerned about the flush draw, which explains my bet. A good poker player will likely be thinking "He's in the big blind, he didn't raise, he probably has a 2 and doesn't want anyone to catch the flush." And that's exactly what I want them to think.

But for the purpose of this article (poker strategy following through), what do you do when someone re-raises you after you've put out your bluff? Say you have J-4 off suit. What do you do?

Well, here's what I would do. First, I ask myself "What the heck does he have? Doesn't he see I'm representing a 2 and since I seen the flop for free, I probably have it?" But you have to analyze it more. Is he tight? Does he bluff a lot? How many chips does he have? Does he think I'm bluffing? Have I been bluffing a lot to make him think I'm bluffing now? Is he low on chips and getting desperate? And NOW, unless I can really come up with a big reason not to re-raise him back, I have to make a re-raise. And in a tournament, this is a very hard thing to do because if you're wrong, you're out (In a cash game it's much easier since you can buy back in). But the most likely reason the person e-raised me in the first place is to see if I was serious about my bluff. They're trying to see if I'm simply making a stab at the pot (which I am).

Does this always work? Of course not. But I've laid down too many hands that I tried to bluff on once they re-raised me only to find out I was right in the first place. I've been right "more" then I've been wrong. Follow your instincts. Analyze the flop. Analyze the player. If they're a good player, they're probably bluffing you back. If they're a bad player, its likely they were slow playing and their re-raise means they have a hand.

Here's another example and this was a real hand. I limped from late position with 78 suited and it was checked to the flop. The flop came Qh, 2h, 6c (two suits on board) and a good player checked in front of me after one other player checked. I put in a raise of about 3/4's of the pot (eliminating odds for a flush draw). I wanted the players to think I had a Q and that I was concerned about the flush draw, and knowing that they were good players they would analyze my bet and see what I was doing, putting me on a Q. Needless to say, it didn't work. One player folded and the good player (really, they were both good), but the second player re-raised me. Without thinking "Duh, he's only testing you" I knew I was folding, period, but decided to milk it and said something like "What's your kicker?" I folded and said "I'm sure you have my 3 kicker beat." He turned over garbage, like a 73. I even had the better hand, lol.

But the whole point is, if you think you have a good opportunity to bluff "after" a good player has checked, and that same player re-raises you, consider the fact that "most" of the time they're simply testing you. Because if they had a hand in the first place, they wouldn't of checked to allow someone to outdraw them. Good players know not to give free cards if they can fall behind in the hand. Yes it is extremely difficult to re-raise on a stone cold bluff, but if your instincts tell you they're bluffing you back, then by all means, consider bluffing back. Good poker strategy is key to winning games.

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