There will be different people telling you different things. Some will say yes you can win poker without bluffing while the others say that bluffing is an integral part of the game and it cannot be played without it. You will always find different sets of players, one who thinks that without bluffing there is no poker and the second that will be of the opinion that bluffing is not the only strategy to get you through the game. When you use bluff as a strategy it is always with risks. Play online poker games to understand this strategy better.
Before we decide if poker can be played without bluffing let us understand properly what bluffing is. In simple terms, when you make your opponent believe that you have a strong hand when you don’t know what bluffing is. But it gets tricky when you do it too often or when you are not very convincing. This could cost you more than what you put in. If you do not want to use this strategy then you must have a strong hand to win the pot and this is not possible most of the time. Which is why many are of the opinion that it is necessary to bluff. To learn this, download poker game and get started.
There is always a method to bluffing. Professional players know this and that is why they are confident to sue it. As an amateur, you need to learn this. Do not bluff every time you have a weak hand. You have to read your opponents well and decide if it is safe to use it against them. Never bluff more in the later stages of the game when every player has become comfortable. It is always advised to bluff in the preflop stage when players are still warming up. Do not bluff when you know your opponent is holding equity cards. There is every chance they will call it which will be bad for you. If you look online you will find various articles with poker tips online to help you learn how to bluff.
Do not be nervous, a game of poker is like sitting at a sharks table. Everyone is out for your blood and if you get nervous then that will be the end of your game. Especially if you intend to use bluffing as a strategy, fear has no place. Bluffing puts your opponent in a tough situation and this should be done with confidence, at the right time, and every chance you get.
As an amateur, you will need to learn the art of being aggressive selectively. On one hand, you need to learn to fold with below-average hands or average hands and on the other, you need to know how to raise or bet when needed. If you also want to learn some basic tricks of bluffing then the simplest ones are awareness. You need to observe what cards your opponents hold at all times. Poker games take a long time to end and you need to be careful of using bluffs. Use it only when you know it will succeed, bluffing when you think it won’t work is not helpful.
Another tactic you can use is to try putting your opponents on tilt. If your bluff is successful then the other players begin to get agitated. This causes them to tilt and they start playing rash. This gives you the opportunity to get them to fold.
Finally, there are always ways to tell when someone is bluffing. But with online poker, this becomes difficult since you cannot see your opponents. With online poker, you need to learn how to read the stats and the table given on your screens. But all that said, there are a couple of ways to find out how the opponent is bluffing in online poker. One, for instance, is their betting patterns. If you see them not playing well for a certain period of time and then suddenly putting in a strong raise this will help you in understanding that they are either bluffing or genuinely have a good hand. Play real poker online to understand how this works and observe as many games as you can before you begin playing.