How can you tell if someone is bluffing in poker?
Filed under: Card Games
16 February 2009
DiMooch asked:
When playing against an experienced player with a good poker face what is the best way to tell if he or she is bluffing?
When playing against an experienced player with a good poker face what is the best way to tell if he or she is bluffing?
February 18th, 2009 at 1:40 am
watch their face.mouth and eye movements.watch their hands also.
February 20th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
There is no definite way to tell when someone is bluffing because it varies from player to player. The best way is to ‘feel out’ the player a little during the game. Watch their movements and patterns to try to gain an understanding of how they do things. Notice certain mannerisms like, touching their face, not making eye contact, etc.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:11 am
you have to study their behavior. try watching the movies ‘The Sting’ and ‘Maverick’. That’s how I’ve learned to bluff
February 27th, 2009 at 7:28 am
if i knew the answer to the question would I be here on yahoo or out winning money
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Study their little tells and body language in prior games you have observed.
March 4th, 2009 at 5:49 am
Look for the signs, like his breathing rises and he starts playing cards hastily.
March 7th, 2009 at 12:22 am
Wait until after the hand is over and ask to see his/her cards.
March 8th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
The poor player I often play, when he has a good hand, he bets high and says something along the lines off “you chicken you are going to fold now”, so I do fold. If he makes a big bet quietly without saying anything, it tells me he is nervous and unsure that his hand is good enougth. This rule only applies to this one player though. So you got to get used to the players you play, and pick up on THEIR signs to tell you when they are or are not bluffing.
March 9th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
If they are really that good, you won’t be able to tell, but sometimes whenb you play w/ them for a while you will start to notice how they play, just pay attention to their reactions and the way they play their cards!
EXPEREINCE pays off!
March 10th, 2009 at 6:12 am
Most good experienced players do not bluff often. When they do they often pick their spot, like against a short stack, or when they are short stacked. So by looking for certain situations you can get an idea. Caro’s theory of strong means weak and weak means strong, also holds some truth, but the better the player the less you can rely on this.
The best way that I tell if someone is bluffing is I look at all their plays for the whole hand and see if they make sense. If a large bet makes sense based on the pattern of cards, I take heed. If not, I smell a bluff. The biggest factor is the quality of the player. You are not going to catch good players bluffing often because good players don’t bluff that much. So unfortunately their is no magic answer, but just experience, and sometimes bad experiences to help you sort it out. Good luck.