Most of you will be familiar with the concept of bluffing commonly applied in a game of poker. This is a strategy for tricking your opponents. The principle underlying bluffing is to plant in your opponent’s head the idea that you are stronger than him. Even though this strategy is more risky, it does give you the chance to earn higher rewards. As the economic principle goes: the higher the risk, the more the rewards. However, bluffing is not as simple as it may sound. You need to be wholly informed about the moves and incentives of the other player for this to work out your way. This makes it somewhat difficult for you to decide whether to go with a strategy of bluffing or not.

The first thing you need to do is to anlayze your image at the table. That is you have to understand how other players rate your game. If you have built a good image for yourself, your opponents are more likely to fall in a trap you have laid out for them. In order to build a good reputation for yourself, you need to play your best hands. This will allow the other players to think highly of you, and they will hesitate before placing any bet since they think you are strong enough to back it up.

The next most important consideration for you before you decide to bluff is to see the number of players in the game who are included in the pot. It is easiest to bluff without getting caught if there are very few players in the game. This is primarily because you have fewer opponents to doubt your move and hence the probability of being driven out of the game automatically decreases. The most common thing in a bluff is for any of the players to call out the game and you need to be extremely cautious of this. This is a highly risky move as you can lose a lot of money if it does not work out your way. Being familiar with the playing styles of all your opponents can give you a significant edge in bluffing, as a well informed decision automatically reduces the risk of losing.

Finally, in order to bluff your opponents successfully, you need to represent your strength. This is like telling a fiction story in such a way that it sounds believable to the listeners. So your behavior on the poker table can make a whole lot of difference. You need to be aware of the entire context of the game, and not just your individual position, in order to turn a bluff into a smart and winning move.