Poker glossary

Bluff

A bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand you expect to be weaker, to make better hands fold.

The simple explanation

A bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand you expect to be weaker, in order to make a better hand fold. If your opponent folds, you win the pot even though you did not have the best cards. Bluffing is possible because players cannot see each other's hands.

A closer look

A bluff succeeds only if the opponent folds often enough compared with how much you risk. For a pot-sized bet it must work about one time in three. Good bluffs tell a believable story: the bet sizes and the board should fit the hand you want to represent. Bluffing too often or against players who never fold is a mistake. Semi-bluffs, which have equity if called, are the strongest bluffs.

A practical example

Player A misses the flop with 5-4 but bets anyway. Player B folds a pair of queens, and Player A wins the pot with a bluff.

Full explanation

A bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand you expect to be weaker, to make better hands fold.

A bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand that is not thought to be the best hand. The aim is to make a stronger hand fold.

Bluffing is a basic part of poker because the game is one of incomplete information. If you never bluffed, opponents would fold whenever you bet and you would win much less with strong hands.

A bluff needs a reason. Players choose bluffs that fit the story of the hand and bet sizes that give a good price. Against opponents who rarely fold, bluffing is pointless.

A bluff with a draw is called a semi-bluff, since it can win by being called and hitting.

A bluff

No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake

Read the full hand transcript

Player A has the button (BTN) and posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player B posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).

Preflop · Pot: 3 chips
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips. Heads-up, the dealer (D) also posts the small blind.
- Player A BTN / SB 5 of hearts (5h)4 of hearts (4h) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player B BB Queen of clubs (Qc)Queen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
Preflop · Pot: 8 chips
Player A raises to 6 before the flop.
- Player A BTN / SB 5 of hearts (5h)4 of hearts (4h) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB Queen of clubs (Qc)Queen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
Preflop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B calls. Each player has put in 6 chips.
- Player A BTN / SB 5 of hearts (5h)4 of hearts (4h) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B BB Queen of clubs (Qc)Queen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
Flop · Pot: 12 chips
The flop misses both players' cards and has a king. Player A has no pair.
Board: King of spades (Ks)7 of diamonds (7d)2 of clubs (2c)
- Player A BTN / SB 5 of hearts (5h)4 of hearts (4h) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
- Player B BB Queen of clubs (Qc)Queen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
Flop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B checks.
Board: King of spades (Ks)7 of diamonds (7d)2 of clubs (2c)
- Player A BTN / SB 5 of hearts (5h)4 of hearts (4h) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
- Player B BB Queen of clubs (Qc)Queen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
Flop · Pot: 20 chips
Player A bets 8 even though the hand has no pair. Player A wants Player B to fold a better hand. This is a bluff.
Board: King of spades (Ks)7 of diamonds (7d)2 of clubs (2c)
- Player A BTN / SB 5 of hearts (5h)4 of hearts (4h) · Stack 186 · In this round 8
- Player B BB Queen of clubs (Qc)Queen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
Flop · Pot: 12 chips
Player B folds the pair of queens. The uncalled 8-chip bet returns to Player A, who wins the 12-chip pot.
Board: King of spades (Ks)7 of diamonds (7d)2 of clubs (2c)
- Player A BTN / SB 5 of hearts (5h)4 of hearts (4h) · Stack 194 · In this round 0
- Player B BB Queen of clubs (Qc)Queen of diamonds (Qd) · Stack 194 · In this round 0 · Folded

Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.

Explore this topic