winning poker strategy

When a player first starts playing poker they are always looking for spots where they can make a play at a big pot. There are actually several different types of bluffs, and different situations where each type of bluff is appropriate.

Bluffing is somewhat of an improper term to describe what is involved in bluffing properly. Bluffing is really just a label for the smart use of fold equity.
Fold equity refers to the likelihood that your opponent will fold to your bet. Without at least some fold equity bluffing will never be successful. When contemplating a potential bluff there are four main factors you have to take into consideration to determine your chances of success.

Board Texture
To bluff successfully you have to analyze the board to decide the number of hands that could call each potential bet you could make. For example, on a board of A 8 3 rainbow, a bluff that represented the Ace can really only be called, or raised, by a player holding an Ace, 88, 33, or 83.
If you are confident that your bet can scare out KK, QQ, JJ, and other high pocket pairs then a bluff could be the right play. However, if your opponent will play a pair of 8's or better hard then you may want to save your chips. When determining the range of hands that can call your bet you should also take out any hands that are highly unlikely to be held by your opponents. In the example above, 83 is probably not out there if the hand was raised preflop, and 33 could be unlikely as well depending on the preflop action.

Conversely, in a blind vs. blind situation during a tournament with high blinds, if both the small blind and the big blind fail to raise preflop you can usually safely rule out a hand holding an Ace and 88.

Number of Players
The number of players in the hand has a lot of impact on how much fold equity you have. Against a single opponent it is easy to judge how likely it is that they will fold to a bet.
However, when you throw more players into the mix it gets complicated. Now you not only need to know the calling range of one player, but multiple players. If there is even one calling station, a standard bluff may not end up being so standard.
One situation where bluffing into multiple players can be effective is on a scary board where there are very few possible hands that could call your bet.
However, these situations are rare. It is usually better to not make a continuation bet if you have more than two players seeing the flop against you when you miss completely.

Opponent Playing Styles
Your opponent's playing styles will heavily influence whether it is likely that they will fold. Some players will not continue unless they significantly hit the flop, while others love to chase their hand to the river. If your opponents playing styles are unknown you have little information to use in making your decision.
The better your reads on the table, the better you will be able to judge your fold equity.

Stack Sizes
Stack sizes usually only come into play during the high blind levels of tournaments. You can use both the size of your own stack, and the size of your opponent's stack, to increase the number of hands they will fold.
For example, if you are a chipleader and the second tallest chipstack gets involved in a hand with you, you can put in a strong bet on the flop which implies that they will have to commit most or all of their chips in order to play their hand to the river.
When the action is nearing the bubble, or the prizes are increasing, you often have added fold equity when you have a large stack, and put another large stack to the test.
However, when you are a shortstack you often have reduced fold equity because a player with a larger stack can safely call your bet without threatening their own position in the game.

Types of Bluffs
There are several very different ways to bluff. One important consideration is the size of your bet. Beginners often think that bluffing involves just shoving chips into the pot to scare out your opponent. This strategy often works against a beginner, but if you are dealing with a semi-competent player they are going to be
doing more work to figure out what your bet represents.
If you bet too much then they may realize that the only hands that are beating them would not have made such a strong bet.

Small Bluff
Smaller bluffs can work, but it is very important that you use small bluffs carefully because there are drawbacks. The small bluff is a dangerous weapon. You can bet a small amount, and win a large pot. Pulling off a small bluff involves searching for situations where representing a specific holding through a small bet will convince your opponent that you want to be called. Because they think you want to be called they will (hopefully) assume that you have one of the stronger possible holdings. This type of bluff will usually only work on the flop or the turn. If you bet small on the river your opponent can look you up and see a showdown for a small investment. The biggest problem with a small bet is that any opponent who is drawing
to a hand will have the correct odds to call.
A small bluff is appropriate only under the following conditions:
- The board does not have many possible draws
- There is a hand that you can represent on the board that will cause your opponent to lay down most of their possible holdings.
- Your play so far in the hand will cause your opponent to believe that you have what you are representing.
- The player you are dealing with is able to lay down the hands you believe they may have.

Check-Raise Bluff
Another bluff is the check-raise bluff. The check-raise bluff often takes advantage of a standard continuation bet made by your opponent. The check-raise bluff has to be done under similar conditions as the small bluff. It is difficult to use a check-raise to take down a pot because you almost always have to invest the value of the pot in order to scare your opponent out. Furthermore, it is dangerous to fire at a pot your opponent is making a move on. You therefore have to be absolutely sure that you have a significant amount of fold equity before attempting to make a move on another players pot. A Check-Raise Bluff can also be used as a semi-bluff.

A semi-bluff is a bet that you make when you have a strong draw, but you would prefer to take the hand down right away because you will miss the draw more than you
will complete it.

River Bluffs
Another bluff is the river bluff. There are two ways to bluff the river.

1) When you check on the turn from early position, and the late position player fails to bet.
If your opponent isn't willing to make a bet in late position on the turn you generally have a significant amount of fold equity on the river. However, that is assuming that the river card hasn't improved their hand. When you bluff in early position on the river it is usually advisable to make a large bet. This is because your opponent may call a small bet with hands like middle pair. You therefore want to make sure that the story you have told in the hand is consistent with the hand
you are representing on the river.

2) When your opponent checks from early position on the river.
If your opponent isn't willing to fire a bet on the river, they are usually unlikely to call a bet on the river. Again, you want to size your bet on the large side as your opponent may try to see a showdown with a junky hand.
However, if a smaller bet will represent a particular hand then this is always an option. Lastly, I really cannot stress the importance of being careful with these
river bluffs. I've been called down with high card when attempting these bluffs. The fold equity is high enough that a bet of two-thirds of the pot, or the whole thing, seems profitable, but it can be very hard for your opponent to believe that you've suddenly made some great hand. Your bet out of nowhere often doesn't make any sense to your opponent, so make sure you are telling a believable story when you try to bluff the river.