How to Bluff in Poker

Poker is a game where luck plays a big role, but good decisions can make the difference between winning and losing. You learn to decide under uncertainty: there’s no way to know what cards are coming up or how your opponents will bet, which is an important skill in any situation that involves some degree of risk.

You have to observe your opponents closely, looking at their facial expressions, twitches and body language to recognise tells. This requires a high level of concentration that can distract people from their hands, but it’s essential for noticing subtle changes in mood and behaviour that can help you spot a bluff.

Bluffing can be a powerful tool in poker, but it’s important not to use it just for the sake of bluffing, or you’ll look like a total idiot. Use it as a means to get value from weaker hands, and raise aggressively with strong value hands. This will help you win more money over time by pricing all of your opponent’s worse hands out of the pot.

Top players often fast-play their strong value hands, putting in lots of bets early on to build the pot and chase off players waiting for draws that can beat them. You should try to play this way too, balancing the potential returns on your draws with their implied odds and pot odds.