Bluffing is the skill that separates average players from world-class players. With the ability to bluff, you can win many pots without having a legitimate hand. Add this to the number of pots you win with a hand and you have a huge advantage over your opponents. So how do you know when to bluff? In order to bluff an opponent, you have to put him to a difficult decision. Watching how he has played in the past is the key to bluffing. Pay close attention to the types of hands he plays and how often he folds to a bet. Does he always fold when a possible flush is on board? Will he call a continuation bet and then fold on the turn? Does your opponent check fast when he has a weak hand? All these questions should be going through your head while you are watching him play each and every hand.

Pay particular attention to the types of boards that may scare your opponents. How does he react to a paired flop? How does opponent react to a board with three consecutive numbers? How does opponent react to a very low board? Your ability to bluff will depend entirely upon your opponent. If he is a good player, it is more likely that you can bluff him in certain spots. If you are playing a terrible player, bluffing is very difficult. It is not enough to simply fire out a bet when you have nothing. There is an art to bluffing that relies on instinct. Through thousands of hands and close observation of your opponent, you should be able to spot weakness. Pay attention to when your opponent indicates weakness and then take advantage. Sometimes you will be wrong but overtime your instinct will be very accurate.

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