The Art of Bluffing in Casual Home Game Poker by rickspare

Note: This article was written by a user on Discord who contacted me to share an article.

There's something special about running some classic Texas Hold'em poker with friends. The trash talk and careless deception make for an exciting match of the most strategic of card games. Running a deceptive bluff in this setting takes an understanding of the people across the table more than the understanding of complicated game theory statistics. The satisfaction of bluffing a buddy off of a better hand or tricking them into believing you are weak is a euphoric feeling unmatched in satisfaction. So here is a guide on how to bluff in casual poker against the three types of casual players.

The Lawless Loose Cannon:

This player is so random and careless in their betting patterns and will call in every other spot without any critical thinking about their purpose for being in a hand. Simply DON'T BLUFF THEM. Save yourself the energy and chips by saving your bluffs for more thoughtful/considerate players. Instead, utilize their calling station tendencies to gain value when you have a medium to strong hand by building a medium sized pot with small bets and potentially shoving all in on the river with hands you are confident are winners.

The Paranoid Caller:

This player will tend to call frequently but will double-take to bets that are "off-putting" to them. They will call frequently to large bets early in a hand but will fold to smaller-sized or "odd" bets on the turn or river. Why? Well they become confused about the story being told and fold frequently based upon this new doubt of their strength. Bluff these players by carefully TIMING your bets and by BETTING SUSPICIOUSLY. Bet bigger early on in the hands when they are more likely to call, and then slow down by betting a smaller more dubious size on rivers as to raise suspicion and to give them a bad feeling.

The "Smart" Player:

This player supposedly has it all figured out. They are attempting to out-level you by being one step ahead of you. Paying attention to your tendencies and watching when and how you bet are how this player assesses their strength. Ironically, their assuredness makes them easily bluffable due to their complete lack of doubt. PLAY THE DUMMY ROLE by basing your actions off of their assumptions. This player will believe that big bets are signs of weakness wearing a mask of strength and that smaller bets are for value indicating a strong hand. So just DO THE OPPOSITE. Bet larger sized when you are ahead to make it look like you're bluffing. The way to execute this plan is to isolate them preflop with a larger bet, play passively on the flop with a check or call, and start betting big on the turn and river with a made hand such as top pair. You will convince them that you are falsely betting big and they will frequently call with weaker hands.

Ignore Sun Tzu's Accepted Wisdoms:

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” This commonly accepted notion is polar opposite to how you should bluff opponents in home games given that it is the accepted notion. Everyone's a little too clever for their own good, which offers the opportunity of using reverse tells to steal chips. Bluff by LOOKING STRONG and gain value by PLAYING WEAK. In short, bluffing in casual poker is not a math game but a people's game. Read your opponents, especially if you are already aware of their tendencies. Understand their understanding of you and flip those expectations.

Bluffing in home games is less about you being deceptive but by sculpting a false image of yourself and allowing your opponent to make mistakes based upon that. So next time you're running a friendly poker night, do not just play your cards. PLAY THE PLAYER.