"Everything I Say, Is A Lie"

Most will recognize this as Epimenides Paradox, or, more simply, the Liar's Paradox. The astute few of you may also recognize it as something Spock said in an old episode of Star Trek. He had other good lines that are related to poker as well. When someone said to him, "I think you're bluffing." He replied, "Vulcans, never bluff!!!" To which the first guy agreed, "No, I don't suppose they do…" And in one of the early movies, when someone flat out accused him with, "You lied." He had the greatest comeback in the history of movies, "I exaggerated."

What does all this have to do with poker, you ask? Well, today I'd like to talk about bluffing. When to do it, how, and what to do when you get away with it. It might also be a good idea to talk about when not to bluff.

There are several instances where bluffing might not be a good idea. If you're faced with a calling station, someone that will call every bet no matter what you do, then this person probably will stay all the way to the river, even with little or no holdings. Most beginners fall into this trap as well. You probably shouldn't bluff them either. This next one is obvious, however unlikely, as, you can't bluff when you have the best hand. If you think you're bluffing, and the other players fold, you can't know for sure that you did indeed, bluff.

Unless of course, after the hand is over, you show your bluff. Which is almost never a good idea. Poker is mostly a game of limited information, and the less you give away free, the better off you'll be. Now, I'm sure a lot of you have seen the promo on ESPN, with Chris "Jesus" Ferguson betting it all with deuce seven offsuit and getting the guy to fold. He justifies showing his cards with, "Sometimes, you want to advertise your bluffs. It makes your opponents second guess themselves, it drives them crazy. But mostly you're setting them up for later." I don't necessarily know that this will work against certain players, and it's more of a TV move.

Specifically, when you raise before the flop, and the flop misses you completely, you have two choices. Usually, everyone checks to you, the raiser. Now, you can check as well, and show weakness. It might be a better idea, to try to make others at the table think you connected with the flop, and lead out with another bet. You'll be surprised how many times this works, and everyone else folds. However, I wouldn't recommend this as a regular habit.

With every hand you play, you should be asking yourself the question, "What can I make them think that I have?" and then bet accordingly. Poker at its roots, especially No Limit Hold 'Em, is a game of deception.

"What are the others doing, and how does it make me feel?" is something I ask myself, every hand I play. If I sense weakness, or pickup a tell, as we talked about last time, then it's probably the right time for a bluff. That is if I don't have the best hand, as I stated above. Most often, you won't know if your bluffs are truly successful, as, if they work, the other player(s) will fold to you, and you'll win the pot. Only if you've managed to put them on tilt will they sometimes show what they folded. Or, if you're lucky enough to make it to a final table that's being broadcast on TV, you'll get to see it when you watch the telecast. Of course, if you're at that level, you're probably not reading this article.

If you've made it this far, you're probably wondering when is a good time to bluff. I spoke of not hitting the flop earlier. The odds are, your opponent didn't hit the flop either. If either or both you of you are unpaired before the flop, you'll miss the flop entirely two out of three times. Again, look for weakness. I usually bluff when my opponent has shown weakness, and I've been showing strength up to that point. You'll also want to have enough chips to bluff, and you should make sure your opponent has enough as well, as he may already be pot committed, therefore a bluff would bring the call you don't want.

Now that you've decided a bluff is in order, you should be thinking about how to bluff. Or, more likely, not thinking about it, as you might give off a tell that you're bluffing. Be consistent with your betting throughout your session, and most won't know that you're lying, and making up facts some of the time. If you've varied your play, and switched gears a few times, a pot sized bet will usually be enough to push others off a hand. There is a fine line between acting, and overacting. "Going Hollywood" and attempting to act like you're not bluffing, is a sure way to get your bluff called. Unless of course like me, you've taken several hundred acting lessons.

Some final thoughts to consider. If you consistently get caught bluffing, you are probably bluffing too much, while conversely, if you never get caught, you might not be bluffing enough. On the other side, if you never get bluffed out, you're probably calling too much. Whether you're telling the truth, exaggerating, or outright lying, bluffing in poker is an art, and not a science. What works on a particular hand at one table, may not work in the exact same situation at another. This is just a primer of what bluffing is all about. Whole books could be written on the subject. In fact, one has. Of course, I may be telling the truth, or, I may be bluffing.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

See you next time.

Disclaimer: Mike's views don't necessarily reflect anyone else's that you know, and sometimes, not even his own. If you think he's bluffing, feel free to email him at Batman@azteca.net and let him know.