Texas Holdem Instructions

Better known as slow playing your hand.  What you want to do is represent something other than what you really have.  So in order to do that, you want to show weakness instead of the strength you actually possess.  Here are two examples of inducing a bluff.

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The act of checking is often perceived as a sign of weakness.  So, let’s say you have A-A in the hole and instead of raising, you decide to check or call.  This is a risky move, and should be saved for the right moment.  Usually, you are going to want to raise with such a strong hand so that you aren’t going against many other players.

A perfect reason to slow play a strong hand is that very aggressive player sitting at your table.  This guy has been playing just about every hand and most of them with a raise.  You want this person to drag you into a pot, so you just call the big blind, hoping that he will raise.

Let’s say he does just that and everyone folds to you.  He has entered your trap.  You don’t really know if he’s bluffing, but you can suspect that his hand isn’t as good as yours especially if you actually do hold that high pair.  Now’s a good time for a check raise.  That may end the hand and you’ll get to take down the pot.  Or…

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You could try to induce a bluff again.  So you just call.  After the flop, you check again.  He can’t help himself.  He fires another bet into the pot.  There is a danger here.  He may have hit a hand that’s better than yours.  You’ll have to put the pieces of the puzzle together to get a read on the hand.  Having satisfied your desire to have him fire again, you again will have a decision.  Do I call or raise?

You should assess the board before answering.  Do the cards now give your opponent some potential or did your hand get even better?  If the danger cards on the board just got potentially worse for you, you should try to take the pot right here.

Slow playing big hands is a risky situation.  If you keep your eyes and ears open throughout the hand, this can bring you quite a few chips.  But, if your opponent has been given extra chances for a worse hand to mature into a winner, you’ve got to be prepared to let it go.  There is another way to induce a bluff.

There are some bets that are considered standard in no limit poker.  If you’ve flopped a pair, preferably top pair, you will want to bet the size of the pot.  In order to make your opponent think you’re on a draw or maybe have overcards or even a small pair, you bet the minimum or maybe a little more than that.  If you’ve convinced an aggressive player that you are weak, he’s likely to bet into you.  That’s just what you wanted.

And, once again, you can attempt to end it right there or continue to tag along until bringing the hammer out with a big bet on the end.  Assess the board and the betting that’s going on to help decide which course to follow.

If you are in a limit game, you’ll want to induce a bluff if you’ve got a nice hand developing.  And the way to do that is to not bet.  However, you should only not bet if you are sure that your opponent will bet.  That way you can check raise or just call so that the fish will not get off the hook.

Be careful with this method.  By keeping a hand alive rather than trying to end it and stack what chips are in the pot, you are giving your opponent the chance to make their hand.

It is imperative that you have a read on the players at your table before trying to induce a bluff.  You do not want to lose the opportunity to bet and get maximum value out of your hand if the person you are trying to get to make a play does not do that.

Just because a player is aggressive, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a good hand on occasion.  Too often, players will attempt to take down the guy who bets and raises every hand, with nothing to go with themselves.  Remember, even the wild players have a hand once in awhile.

Inducing a bluff is a rather advanced play.  You’ll want to try it as your experience increases.  Perhaps the best result of inducing a bluff is that you’ll get that ultra-aggressive player to slow down and perhaps be vulnerable to a bluff of your own.

Beware that if a player who does not play wildly, who always seems to have the hand they are representing, is aggressive on occasion, that is not the person you should try to induce into bluffing.  You may be signing your own walking papers.

Inducing a bluff should be tried sparingly against only the most aggressive players.

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