One of the reasons why some people are so adamant that poker be reclassified into a game of skill rather than a game of chance is the fact that poker is a bluffing game.  In poker, bluffing is one of the most important skills and tricks that any poker player worth his salt has to study and learn to master.  Otherwise, you will always play your strong hands, see the flop/river/turn for a chance to draw good cards, and fold pre-flop on weak pocket cards.  While it is true that you should generally abide by these general guidelines if you’re new at poker, you are not going to become a true poker veteran by remaining consistent to this very newbie tactic.

How can you become a master poker bluffer?  The following poker bluffing tips will most certainly help.

Poker Bluffing Tips for the Newbies

If you are a master of the poker bluffing game, you can make your opponents believe that you have a strong hand even if you actually have a weak hand; likewise, you can also make your opponents believe that you have a weak hand when you actually have a strong hand.  In a nutshell, poker bluffing means manipulating your opponents into believing whatever you want them to think about the strength of your cards (or the lack thereof).

Bluffing at poker requires skill and preparation.  The following are two ways by which you can set up a bluff at poker:

Consistent, predictable play

Consistency of playing strategy is a good way of setting the stage, so to speak for your bluff later on.  You can arrange it so you will become predictable to your playing opponents in the first few hands.  When you have weak hands, play safe and fold.  When you have a drawing hand, continue calling but play it slowly.  If you have a monster hand, play aggressively.

In other words, play textbook poker at the start.  Then, when your opponents have got you all figured out, spring your bluff.  Becoming predictable can also take the form of getting yourself labeled a tight player or a loose player at your table.

Unpredictable play

At the opposite end of the spectrum lies becoming an unpredictable player.  You should always guard your reactions and gestures so that your opponents cannot tell whether you have a bad or a good hand.  This way, they’re never going to be able to tell when you are bluffing or when you truly have good cards.