{"id":2548432,"date":"2026-06-25T11:38:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T11:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/?p=2548432"},"modified":"2026-06-23T11:56:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T11:56:31","slug":"how-to-decide-when-to-bluff-step-by-step-framework","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/how-to-decide-when-to-bluff-step-by-step-framework\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Decide When to Bluff (Step-by-Step Framework)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Most players in small-stakes games are afraid to bluff. They check rivers where a bet would win the pot uncontested. They give up on semi-bluffs the moment they miss. And they wonder why their win rate doesn&#8217;t reflect the effort they put into the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fear of being caught bluffing is mostly irrational from a math perspective. If every bluff you attempt gets through, you are not bluffing enough. Bluffs are supposed to fail some of the time. The goal is not to avoid getting caught \u2014 it is to bluff in spots where the math and the situation make it profitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is the framework I use to decide when to bluff in <a href=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/how-to-play-poker\/texas-holdem-rules\/\">Texas Hold&#8217;em<\/a>, step by step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How To Bluff PERFECTLY\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PoGN-CSMQW0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/peakgto\" class=\"adv-link\" aria-label=\"PeakGTO: PokerCoaching&#039;s free poker solver for GTO study\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Peak-test-banner.jpg\" alt=\"PeakGTO: PokerCoaching&#039;s free poker solver for GTO study\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Peak-test-banner.jpg 815w, https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Peak-test-banner-746x103.jpg 746w, https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Peak-test-banner-768x106.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px\" width=\"815\" height=\"113\"   \/><\/a>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-faq uagb-faq__outer-wrap uagb-block-c1a2b5c8 uagb-faq-icon-row uagb-faq-layout-accordion uagb-faq-expand-first-false uagb-faq-inactive-other-true uagb-faq__wrap uagb-buttons-layout-wrap uagb-faq-equal-height     \" data-faqtoggle=\"true\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"wp-block-uagb-faq-child uagb-faq-child__outer-wrap uagb-faq-item uagb-block-0f84d80d \" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"uagb-faq-questions-button uagb-faq-questions\">\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M432 256c0 17.69-14.33 32.01-32 32.01H256v144c0 17.69-14.33 31.99-32 31.99s-32-14.3-32-31.99v-144H48c-17.67 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.33-31.99 32-31.99H192v-144c0-17.69 14.33-32.01 32-32.01s32 14.32 32 32.01v144h144C417.7 224 432 238.3 432 256z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon-active uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M400 288h-352c-17.69 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.31-31.99 32-31.99h352c17.69 0 32 14.3 32 31.99S417.7 288 400 288z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-question\"><strong>TL;DR \u2014 AI Summary of the Article<\/strong><\/span><\/div><div class=\"uagb-faq-content\"><p>* Most small-stakes players are too afraid to bluff, which makes them predictable folders \u2014 actively look for spots to exploit that tendency rather than avoiding bluffs out of fear.<br>* A capped opponent is the ideal bluff target: check-call on the flop and check-call on the turn almost always means one pair or worse by the river, and most players will fold one pair to a substantial bet.<br>* A pot-size bluff only needs to work more than 50% of the time to profit; a 2x pot overbet needs 67% \u2014 against a capped opponent who rarely calls large bets, both thresholds are very achievable.<br>* Blockers improve your bluffing spots by reducing the likelihood that your opponent holds a strong calling hand, such as holding the ace of a flush suit when the flush completes on the river.<br>* Never abandon a bluff on the river after betting the flop and turn \u2014 the river is when a capped opponent feels the most pressure, and stopping there wastes the investment made across earlier streets.<br>* Small bluffs fail because they give opponents good odds to call with any pair. Size up to a pot or larger to put opponents in a genuinely uncomfortable spot and get the folds your bluffs deserve.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Accept That You Must Bluff to Win<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before anything else, you need to get comfortable with the idea of <a href=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/bluffing-in-poker\/\" title=\"\">bluffing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In live small-stakes games, many players work all week, show up with a couple of buy-ins, and are terrified of losing their stack. That fear makes them predictable. They bet their strong hands and fold everything else. When they check the river in a large pot, they almost always want to see a showdown and will fold to any bet they cannot beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That behavioral pattern is a gift. These players fold far more than they should to meaningful river bets. But you can only take advantage of it if you are willing to fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Identify Whether Your Opponent Is Capped<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The clearest sign that a bluff is likely to work is an opponent who is capped on the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most players raise the flop or turn with their strongest <a href=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/poker-hands\/\">poker hands<\/a>. When a player check-calls the flop and check-calls the turn, they are almost always arriving at the river with one pair, a weak two pair, or a missed draw. They rarely hold a set or a straight because they would have raised at some point with those holdings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where <a href=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/fold-equity\/\">fold equity<\/a> is at its highest. A player sitting in a large pot with a capped range does not want to call a substantial bet with one pair. They played passively to get there since they knew their hand was marginal, and a big bet puts them in an uncomfortable spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Actively look for the check-call, check-call pattern before committing to a river bluff. When you see it, the conditions for a profitable bluff are often already in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Check Whether the Math Supports the Bluff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"746\" height=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Check-Whether-the-Math-Supports-the-Bluff.png\" alt=\"Check Whether the Math Supports the Bluff\" class=\"wp-image-2548443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Check-Whether-the-Math-Supports-the-Bluff.png 746w, https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Check-Whether-the-Math-Supports-the-Bluff-373x210.png 373w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 746px) 100vw, 746px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Before bluffing, it is worth understanding the basic <a href=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/poker-math\">poker math<\/a> behind why river bluffs are profitable when opponents fold often enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A pot-size bet risks one unit to win the one unit in the pot. That means you need your opponent to fold more than 50% of the time to profit. If the player across from you folds one pair to a big river bet 65 or 70% of the time, a pot-size bluff is clearly profitable even when it occasionally fails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overbets raise the break-even threshold but work better against capped ranges. If you bet two times the pot, you are risking two units to win one, so you need your opponent to fold 67% of the time. Against a player sitting with the top pair in a large pot, that number is very achievable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my experience, the players who push in a meaningful overbet at these stakes get folds at a rate that far exceeds the break-even point, while players who size down to a third or half pot are giving their opponents too good <a href=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/pot-odds-in-poker\/\">pot odds<\/a> to justify folding any pair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Run the numbers in your head before bluffing. Large pot, capped opponent, your hand has no showdown value: this is a high-percentage spot to fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Look for Blocker Advantages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all bluffing spots are equal. The best bluffs are ones where the cards you hold reduce the likelihood your opponent has a reason to call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/blockers-in-poker\/\">Blockers<\/a> work in your favor when you hold a card that is part of the strongest hands your opponent might call with. The clearest example: when a third card of a flush suit arrives on the river, and you hold the ace of that suit, your opponent is significantly less likely to have the nut flush. The one hand that would call your bet confidently is less likely to exist in their range because you are holding a key card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Straight card blockers work the same way. On a board of jack-ten-seven-six-two, if you hold an eight or a nine, your opponent is less likely to have made a straight. Holdings they might otherwise call with are simply less available to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also spots where turning a pair into a bluff makes sense. If your hand has no real showdown value, blocks some of your opponent&#8217;s strongest calling hands, and does not unblock their automatic folds, bluffing with it can be very effective. The hand&#8217;s value is no longer about what it makes at showdown. It matters because of what it prevents your opponent from holding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Do Not Abandon the Bluff on the River<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most costly bluffing mistakes is betting the flop and turn and then giving up on the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reasoning behind this mistake is understandable. You think: I have missed my draw, I have given this opponent two chances to fold, and they have called both times, my hand is worthless, and I have already spent enough chips. So you check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is precisely the wrong conclusion. If an opponent check-called the flop and check-called the turn without raising, they are almost certainly sitting on a capped range by the river. That is the moment the bluff is most likely to work. You have spent two streets building a story. Abandoning it at the point where your opponent feels the most pressure wastes everything you invested in the hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Commit to the full sequence or reconsider the bluff earlier in the hand. Stopping on the river is the worst of both worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 6: Size Your Bluffs to Create Real Pressure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Size-Your-Bluffs-to-Create-Real-Pressure.jpg\" alt=\"Size Your Bluffs to Create Real Pressure\" class=\"wp-image-2548440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Size-Your-Bluffs-to-Create-Real-Pressure.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Size-Your-Bluffs-to-Create-Real-Pressure-746x420.jpg 746w, https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Size-Your-Bluffs-to-Create-Real-Pressure-373x210.jpg 373w, https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Size-Your-Bluffs-to-Create-Real-Pressure-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Small bluffs fail because they give opponents an easy call. This is the most common bluffing error in small-stakes games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When players say their bluffs always get called, the first thing to check is their sizing. It is almost always one-third or half the pot. Of course, opponents called. At those sizes, the <a href=\"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/poker-spr\/\">stack-to-pot ratio<\/a> going into any future street is comfortable, and the pot odds to call with any pair are very favorable. There is no real pressure in a small bet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A meaningful overbet on the river changes the dynamic. A pot-size bet or larger forces an opponent sitting on one pair to make a real decision. They may feel that something is wrong, but the financial pressure of a large bet makes folding very tempting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This does not mean every bluff should be an overbet. Size should match the story you have been telling and the representation you are making. But if you are going to bluff at all, bet enough to make the decision genuinely uncomfortable. Bluffing small is almost always a mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The framework is straightforward once you internalize it: find a capped opponent, confirm the math makes the bluff profitable, look for blocker advantages, commit through all streets, and size big enough to create real pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>None of this requires guessing whether your opponent is strong or weak in the moment. It requires reading the situation clearly and having the discipline to act on what you see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mental shift is simply to accept that bluffs will fail some of the time. That is not a problem. It is proof that you are bluffing in the right spots at the right frequency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-faq uagb-faq__outer-wrap uagb-block-9c6a2092 uagb-faq-icon-row uagb-faq-layout-accordion uagb-faq-expand-first-false uagb-faq-inactive-other-true uagb-faq__wrap uagb-buttons-layout-wrap uagb-faq-equal-height     \" data-faqtoggle=\"true\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"wp-block-uagb-faq-child uagb-faq-child__outer-wrap uagb-faq-item uagb-block-028289f2 \" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"uagb-faq-questions-button uagb-faq-questions\">\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M432 256c0 17.69-14.33 32.01-32 32.01H256v144c0 17.69-14.33 31.99-32 31.99s-32-14.3-32-31.99v-144H48c-17.67 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.33-31.99 32-31.99H192v-144c0-17.69 14.33-32.01 32-32.01s32 14.32 32 32.01v144h144C417.7 224 432 238.3 432 256z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon-active uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M400 288h-352c-17.69 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.31-31.99 32-31.99h352c17.69 0 32 14.3 32 31.99S417.7 288 400 288z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"uagb-question\"><strong>When is the best time to bluff in poker?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"uagb-faq-content\"><p>The best time is when your opponent is capped, meaning they are unlikely to hold a strong hand based on how they have played. A player who check-calls the flop and check-calls the turn almost always arrives at the river with one pair or worse. A substantial bet in that spot gets through far more often than players expect.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-uagb-faq-child uagb-faq-child__outer-wrap uagb-faq-item uagb-block-91ad7836 \" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"uagb-faq-questions-button uagb-faq-questions\">\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M432 256c0 17.69-14.33 32.01-32 32.01H256v144c0 17.69-14.33 31.99-32 31.99s-32-14.3-32-31.99v-144H48c-17.67 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.33-31.99 32-31.99H192v-144c0-17.69 14.33-32.01 32-32.01s32 14.32 32 32.01v144h144C417.7 224 432 238.3 432 256z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon-active uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M400 288h-352c-17.69 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.31-31.99 32-31.99h352c17.69 0 32 14.3 32 31.99S417.7 288 400 288z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"uagb-question\"><strong>How often should my bluffs succeed?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"uagb-faq-content\"><p>Not always. A pot-size bluff only needs to work more than 50% of the time to be profitable. If all your bluffs succeed, you are not bluffing enough. Expect some to fail since that is part of a correctly calibrated bluffing strategy.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-uagb-faq-child uagb-faq-child__outer-wrap uagb-faq-item uagb-block-b8636e8b \" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"uagb-faq-questions-button uagb-faq-questions\">\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M432 256c0 17.69-14.33 32.01-32 32.01H256v144c0 17.69-14.33 31.99-32 31.99s-32-14.3-32-31.99v-144H48c-17.67 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.33-31.99 32-31.99H192v-144c0-17.69 14.33-32.01 32-32.01s32 14.32 32 32.01v144h144C417.7 224 432 238.3 432 256z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon-active uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M400 288h-352c-17.69 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.31-31.99 32-31.99h352c17.69 0 32 14.3 32 31.99S417.7 288 400 288z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"uagb-question\"><strong>How large should my river bluffs be?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"uagb-faq-content\"><p>Large enough to make the call genuinely difficult. Small bets give opponents favorable odds to call with any pair. A pot-size bet or overbet forces a real decision and gets folds from players who would call a smaller sizing without hesitation.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-uagb-faq-child uagb-faq-child__outer-wrap uagb-faq-item uagb-block-3ac58f77 \" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"uagb-faq-questions-button uagb-faq-questions\">\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M432 256c0 17.69-14.33 32.01-32 32.01H256v144c0 17.69-14.33 31.99-32 31.99s-32-14.3-32-31.99v-144H48c-17.67 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.33-31.99 32-31.99H192v-144c0-17.69 14.33-32.01 32-32.01s32 14.32 32 32.01v144h144C417.7 224 432 238.3 432 256z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon-active uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M400 288h-352c-17.69 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.31-31.99 32-31.99h352c17.69 0 32 14.3 32 31.99S417.7 288 400 288z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"uagb-question\"><strong>What are blockers and why do they matter for bluffing?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"uagb-faq-content\"><p>Blockers are cards in your hand that reduce how likely your opponent is to hold certain hands. Holding the ace of a flush suit when the flush completes means your opponent is less likely to have the nut flush. Identifying blocker advantages helps you pick bluffing spots where your opponent has fewer natural calling hands available.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-uagb-faq-child uagb-faq-child__outer-wrap uagb-faq-item uagb-block-aeb1d835 \" role=\"tab\" tabindex=\"0\"><div class=\"uagb-faq-questions-button uagb-faq-questions\">\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M432 256c0 17.69-14.33 32.01-32 32.01H256v144c0 17.69-14.33 31.99-32 31.99s-32-14.3-32-31.99v-144H48c-17.67 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.33-31.99 32-31.99H192v-144c0-17.69 14.33-32.01 32-32.01s32 14.32 32 32.01v144h144C417.7 224 432 238.3 432 256z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"uagb-icon-active uagb-faq-icon-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M400 288h-352c-17.69 0-32-14.32-32-32.01s14.31-31.99 32-31.99h352c17.69 0 32 14.3 32 31.99S417.7 288 400 288z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"uagb-question\"><strong>Should I bluff every time I miss a draw?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"uagb-faq-content\"><p>Not automatically. But the river is often the right time to fire if your opponent has been passive throughout the hand. Whether to bluff depends on the opponent type, the size of the pot, whether your hand has blocker value, and whether the board texture supports the story your bet is telling.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most players in small-stakes games are afraid to bluff. They check rivers where a bet would win the pot uncontested. They give up on semi-bluffs the moment they miss. 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They check rivers where a bet would win the pot uncontested. They give up on semi-bluffs the moment they miss. And they wonder why their win [&hellip;]","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2548432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2548432"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2548432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2548446,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2548432\/revisions\/2548446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2548438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2548432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2548432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2548432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}