1. "If I Don't Bluff Often Enough, I'll Be Viewed as Weak"

Unless you are playing in a poker game in which the antes/blinds are overly large relative to your bankroll, you really don't need to bluff that often in order to be an effective bluffer. In fact, most poker players bluff too much while more solid opponents bide their time.

Indeed, over-reliance on bluffing is the death knell of many average poker players. They play solid for a couple hours, and then they get themselves into one hand where they bluffed early, so now they're bluffing again at a later round and stand to lose big if anyone calls.

But the thing is, someone usually calls. If you're bluffing too frequently or against too many opponents, you're going to lose a lot of money in a short time, because, again, there are plenty of callers out there and there also is no shortage of re-raisers.

Bluffs, especially when there are no or few cards to come, are a commodity that gains value from scarcity.

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2. "He's Got to Fold One of These Hands, Right?"

Going hand in hand with bluffing misperception number one is the idea that loose players will fold if only you bet into them with enough conviction. The truth is that, at least 7 out of 10 times, these loose players will not fold no matter how intensely you bluff.

This problem comes into play when numerous players have folded and you're in a hand with, say, three other players, after the flop, and everyone checks to you in last position. So you raise a considerable amount, trying to knock out two players and go heads up.

If you haven't been paying attention to the guy in first position who's been in 9 out of the last 10 hands all the way to the river, you're making a mistake. The guy (or girl) will call. It's what a calling station does--they call!

Bluffing against poker players with a "gambler's mentality" is like spitting into the wind; you're probably going to get wet. These maniacs will call you and they might well draw out on you. Even if they lose, they'll be right there the next time, calling, calling, calling.

These kinds of players came to play poker, not watch other people play poker. You must take care to identify these players early on and adjust your bluffing strategy accordingly.

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3. "She's Too Good to Fall for My Bluff"

In most poker games, there's usually one player who is a better poker player than anyone else. Beginning or intermediate players may get into the habit of "deferring to the pro" and only playing really solid hands.

This is a mistake. In fact, bluffing is often more effective against excellent players. Average or bad players may not even understand what hand you're representing, whereas you can rest assured that a really good player has "put you on a hand" and is getting the message.

If the message you're sending is a completely false message, but it seems utterly true, now you're bluffing at a high level.

One example of this in practice would be when, say, a King falls on the flop, scaring several players to fold and now you're head up with the best player at the table. When you bet hard into that player, and then bet hard again on the turn, you're representing three Kings.

Is it really worth it for the excellent player to call your bluff? After all, the excellent player thinks in their own mind that they don't have to win every hand, because over the long run, they are going to earn. So, with such confidence, they may be willing to give you this one.

If they're willing to give, you must be willing to take!

Just make sure that when you are bluffing against a really good player, you're actually representing a hand that is the nuts or close to it. You can't execute an incoherent bluffing strategy against an expert player, they will sniff you out and punish you.

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