5 tips to Spot a Bluff in poker
Tip 1: Sun Tsu- Know your enemy: Watch what your opponents do and classify them as to which kind of bluffer they might be. Does a player bluff a lot, sometimes or almost never? You need to look out for these things, as this is the fundamental skill of spotting a bluffer.
Tip 2: Look for tells: Are there any things that your opponent is doing that makes them feel uncertain and nervous? Of course each player will have their own tell. You just need to work it out.
Tip 3: Is the player on tilt: If the villain has been on tilt, there is a higher chance he is bluffing. When a player is tilting, they are usually playing very aggressively. Quite often than not, they will through a lot of bluffs and all-ins, because they are still steaming and are trying to make back their money. However, when they are doing this- they are usually doing it too often that it becomes easy to read.
Tip 4: All-in, it's a monster hand or nothing: Was there a possible draw out there and did he miss it? Do you feel like the player missed their draw, and are trying to bluff you out. Have a look at the cards, think back on what the person was doing in that hand- and, can you remember any information you got from that player from previous hands?
Tip 5: Betting patterns: Does the opponent bet have a bet that seems strange to previous bets- that can be a good tell. Does the opponent bet when they have nothing, and slow play when they have the nuts? Or is it the other way around? Need to keep your eyes open, even when you are not in the hand- gain as much information as you can, and use it to your advantage.
