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One of the most fun parts of poker is running a good bluff. It is one of the things that make poker a unique game. In no limit poker, where you can put all your chips in at any time, bluffing can be a very powerful weapon.

There are many ways you can bluff your opponent. You can bluff in many different situations. Let’s look at one of these bluffing plays, the semi-bluff.

The semi-bluff is a tactic used for both cash games and tournaments. It can work well in both situations. The most important consideration is that you have enough chips to get paid well when your hand hits.

Here is a typical situation that a semi-bluff is a good play. You are in the small blind with Ks2s. A player in early position has raise 3x the big blind. You call the bet, and everyone else folds. The flop comes out As-10h-3s. This is a good time for a semi-bluff.

The semi-bluff will do the following things for you: 1) If you opponent doesn’t have an ace, he might fold right there. 2) If your opponent does have an ace, he might only call, worried that you might have a better hand. 3) If you bet strong, he will not suspect that you are on a draw.

When you bet out after the flop, you take control of the hand. When your opponent has a good hand, you can win a huge pot because you have disguised you hand, and built the pot.

If the turn is a miss, there are two ways to play. The more aggressive approach is to make another raise representing strength. If you check, you are hoping to see the river for free.

When you make the second bet you might win right there. If he calls, or makes a re-raise, you can be fairly sure that you are behind in the hand. It will be pretty easy to know what to do.

When you’ve made a small bet and get called, you might be against a weaker flush draw. This will be a great situation if the flush hits on the turn. If you are re-raised big, you’re beat, and he is making you pay to see more cards. This might force you to fold.

When you check the turn, and he bets, you can call if the pot odds, and implied odds are good enough. Even though you are behind, if the price is right, try and hit the flush.

This hand, played without the bluff will go very differently. When you check, and then call his raise after the flop, you hand is not disguised. He will put you on a flush draw. Then when you hit your flush, you won’t get paid. By using the semi-bluff you can make a lot more money in this situation.

You need to be cautious in these two situations. If not, you will lose a lot of money when you think you are going to win. Bet smaller in these conditions, and consider staying away from the semi-bluff.

When you use the semi-bluff, it costs money. Many times you won’t hit your flush, and lose more money than when you just check. But the rewards when they hit are well worth the increase in the losses when you don’t hit. Overall, done well, this should be a profitable play.

Tags: Online Games

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