Inducing a Bluff

Inducing a Bluff in Poker

Earlier I wrote an article about representing a bluff in poker. The article basically said how to make your hand appear as its a bluff to get extra value out of your solid hand. This article is different in that it teaches you how to get your opponent to bluff at the pot in order to gain extra value from the hand.

Inducing an opponent to bluff can be a very profitable play if used correctly. What you are trying to do is get your opponent to make a bet at the pot when you know that they won't call otherwise, and you believe that you have them beat.

A great example of a hand that you can induce a bluff is this fixed limit texas holdem hand.

The flop comes Qh 10h 2h and you hold KhJh and made a raise preflop. You bet out on the flop, and the one lone player calls. Of course, you have to bet out in this situation. By the way, betting is actually a better disguise for your hand than not betting in these type of situations. There is no reason to check.

The turn card comes a blank, perhaps the 7c. Again you have to bet, and again the other player calls. By now you can put your opponent on a hand. Perhaps he has the Ah and is waiting for his flush? Or he could have a straight draw. But you are in strong belief that he probably has a Queen with another heart and is sticking in the game just for that reason.

When the river comes it is another blank, lets say the 3s. You can bet that your opponent will fold now if he holds a busted flush or straight draw. He might call with his top pair, but would you call a guy who has been betting all the way in a fixed limit game? The proper move in this situation is to check to him, making him believe that you missed your flush or straight, and that the only way he can win is by bluffing (if he has the busted flush or straight) or betting for value with top pair.

And if you are lucky, he will make his bet with whatever he has and you can raise him, knowing that you got at least another bet out of him. He probably would have folded if you had made the bet instead of him.