Hi guys,

Just wondering how much stone-cold bluffing you guys out there use. Limit games, I assume not that much, but in HL Holdem?

Now, I'm not talking about semi-bluffs (flush draws, straight draws). I also am not referring to blind steals or position bets (i.e where you are on the button and sense weakness).

I mean STONE COLD cold (no outs, where you probably have to make runner-runner to beat a guy) and out of position. For example, plays where you're on the blind, someone raises the minimum pre-flop and you have a marginal hand, you decide to play anyways. You miss your flop completely, check to the raiser and play back at him.

Personally, I really try not to bluff without outs. But sometimes you sit so long, get cold cards, or get cards that completely miss the flop - you feel like you have to make big bluffs just to stay in the game!

ok

I personally don't bluff without some kind of out, sometimes I will bluff the river if I sense it did not hit my opponent but that depends on so many things and I try not to do it too often in case I get caught. It's funny though, when I do get caught I want to attempt it more. That's a tendency that I have learned to control though.

I play alot of short handed...and I do a bit a bluffing.

$5/$10 shorthanded
I get A T in MP. 6-handed game. Its folded to me and I raise. A very aggressive guy that likes to pick up alot of pots calls.

Flop is rags. 2 7 5

I bet, aggro raises. I call.

Turn is same. 8

I bet...planning to fold to a raise or check/fold the river if called.

Online vs. Live makes a difference for me. (it may not for others). Only time I stone cold bluff online is to keep a very aggressive player to my right from trying to run me over. I'f i see a ragged flop i'll call to the river and then make a large bet trying to steal it. Kinda use the aggressor as a foil to extract chips from his as if I flopped set. I'm not completely sold on this play yet. I'm still trying to see how much it costs vs. the benefits of it. that's really the only time I'll stone cold bluff online.

I do it every once in a while if I can really convince the guy I have the hand I'm representing. Example

Hero is Button with Q J
-- All folds to MP2, mp2 calls, CO raises 3xBB to 3$, Hero calls, Blinds fold, MP2 folds.

Flop K K 2
-- CO bets 3$. Hero calls (hoping to min. raise turn and stab river).

Turn 9
-- CO bets 5$, Hero raises to 10$ (hey, I've even got a gutshot now), CO folds.

I bluff whenever I think I'm behind but that everyone will fold a higher percentage of the time than the relative size of my bluff bet to the pot size.

I only bluff certain people. There are a handful of people I know I can outright outplay. Every now and then you can just tell if a bet will pick up a pot or not, but those pots are usually so small there's no point in bluffing at them. But most of the time the most profitable poker is just playing your cards and not getting fancy. I have a rather tight image at the tables I play at which allows me to play back at some of the more aggressive players when I'm sure they haven't hit their hands. And I make sure not to show my bluffs to keep my tight image so I can pull the same play again later. I take that back, there is one guy I'll show a bluff to b/c he goes on tilt and will call me down the rest of the night with just high cards. Just make sure not to bluff him anymore. And this doesn't change my image for the rest of the table b/c they know I like to play back at this guy.