Bluffing is what poker is renowned for - but how often do you bluff in reality?

Not reallly talking about semi-bluffs, where you have some type of hand but are trying to give the impression it's stronger than it is through a big bet.

I'm more thinking of betting big when you have nothing.

Say you have 9h4d pre-flop. You limp and the flop comes AsJc2s. It is checked to you and you bet.

You have no kind of hand or the prospect of it getting better but you make a pot size bet as a bluff.

How often do you make this kind of pure bluff play?

At least once a tournament, but at a very important opportune time. Never after someone has just received a bad beat, they might be on tilt and will call anything. Never after someone else has just bluffed a pot and showed. The one that got bluffed will be pissed and determined not to get bluff again this game. The blinds and/or the pot has to be large enough to make it worth while.After I have set a table image of very tight, and I am small stack. Bluffing is great tool, but do it knowing that someone is probably going to call. So if you can't afford to lose the chips then you better not be bluffing.

The real question is when do you show a bluff?

I only do that when I know the person goes on tilt very easily,and the next time we are both in a hand and I have the nuts he is probably going to call thinking I'm bluffing and give me even more of his chips.

Well... I can't say I would never bluff....that would be a lie... which is worse than a bluff lol! Position and timing is the key for me on this question of bluffing. Bluffing out of position can get you into trouble especially if you do it very often. A bluff has to look good to work. Blind bluffing and bluffing regularly will shrink your chip stack quicker than you'll believe. So bluff... yeah... just cool it when you sense some calling station is around lol!

bluffing in late position will steal u some pots but in early position it will do more harm more often than not i bluff a little from time to time but iwill also show u i bluffed u just to get u to anger bet the next time i have a good hand its all about table presence .

for me it all depends on the situation and how the table is being played, if everyones playing tight and alot of checking going on i'm more apt to bluff, but it has gotten me into trouble a few times, liked knocked out of tourneys. every situation is differerent when your playing online poker, but with live poker you can read your opponents a little better and makes it easier. for me anyway.

For me bluffing is an art. I very rarely will ever bluff at a pot. But from time I will use it as a psychological tool to get other players off thier game a bit.
I follow a simple rule. Play the cards first, and play the players second.
For example : Early in a round I will call most every hand. At $20 to call it is well worth it to pay $20 to see the flop. Now if everyone limps in, andwe see the turn and no one bets higher than $20, then i will raise to 150 or so.
Then I see who calls or folds. Mostly those who missed will fold at that bet, and you might wind up with a guy holding a low pair or trying to catch a card for a flush or straight that calls.
At the turn if he checks i again bet 150 to see what he does. If he calls then I get nervous, but if he folds out then I show my hand. This lets him know you bluffed him, and sets you up for him and the other players at th table watching to call your bets when you actually have a decent hand.
After I bluff the first time and show it , I usually never bluff again after that. But I play by feel a lot, and if I think i can use it to my advantage then i will. I won't ever bluff with more than 1/3rd f my chips, this way if cuaght I am still viable and in play to make it back over the next few hands.

bluffing is about timeing and posistion and who and what has and is going on at the table ...persoanally I've gone a whole week without bluffing ....but then again I have bluffed 3 times while at the same table in a tourny...also showing the bluff has its ups and downsides too....pissing off another player is always a plus but I tend to not show and keep 'em guessing (did I or didn't I ) .. .....I never go into a game or hand thinking I'm going to bluff but it is always a possibillity if the chance and situation are right but don't be to obvious about it.

Bluffing is a real double-edged sword. It can win you some nice pots, but it can also rebound on you horribly and make you lose a mass of chips.

You're right - timing and position are paramount, along with an ability to get a good read on your bluffing 'victim'.

I tend to keep bluffing to a minimum nowadays. If you pick an opponent with a good hand you are going to take a beating.

wen ever i think i can get away wit i lol

unibamber you took the words right out of my mouth rofl

As a very wise and very old Russian friend of mine once said I mean frequently would say "Enough is too much". As I would interpit be very carefull with overuse of bluffing especially when your chips stack is good don't risk becoming short stack on a bluff

Bluffing is an art.

Position
Position
position
Timing
Table image
Aggression in my mind is not bluffing.

I never Bluff.
If I ship it in.
I have the Stone Cold Nuts ......
Every time ......

i dont often bluff but when it comes to worst like if your cards has no chance at all and you are lacking of stacks with your remaining opponents who has plenty of stacks, i usually bluff like "all in", very effective for me .