Semi Bluffing

Bluffing is an important part of most poker player's games. Understanding when and how to bluff will dramatically increase your win percentages. Semi-bluffing is an extra weapon for your Texas Holdem poker armoury.

The differences between bluffing and semi-bluffing :

Bluffing is described as an act of deception by a false show of confidence in the strength of your cards. Basically, you're trying to convince your opponents that your hand is unbeatable. When you opt to bluff, you are actually hoping that everyone else folds. If anyone calls you will be on the losing end of this round.

However, Semi Bluffing falls between normal betting and bluffing. A Semi buff is extremely similar to a bluff, the only difference being that you can still make a winning hand. So if someone calls your semi-bluff you can still find the last card to make a winning flush or straight.

When to semi-bluff:

The ideal time to semi-bluff is for those who have to good hand that is just one card away from having an almost unbeatable hand. You will play a semi-bluff prior to the river, leaving open the prospect of picking up an extra card that should win it for you.

It is not a great idea to bluff really bad poker players, in most cases they do not bother trying to read the game or your hand and they will simply call after each raise.

Also avoid bluffing if you are playing in low limit poker rooms, you might realize that a greater percentage of hands will go through to a show down.