Poker Strategy - Reverse Bluffing Tactics

Contrary to a traditional bluff in poker where the player tries to get his opponent to fold while holding the worst hand, reverse bluffing involves making your opponent think that you are bluffing when in fact you possess the best hand on the table.  The tactic of reverse bluffing is wide used online and can be one of the most effective strategies for getting your competitors to make decisions that they should be able to avoid.  The reason that reverse bluffing works so well in online poker is that using the tactics mimics that of a real bluff and thus players are more susceptible to thinking they are making a great play when in fact they are falling directly into your trap.  This article will highlight some of the best reverse bluffing tactics that you can use against your competitors to maximize your wins at the table.

Timeout Reverse Bluff

Timeout reverse bluffing is something that is best used on the river when there is a substantially big pot and you hold the nuts.  Using this tactic, you would wait until you have almost run out of time to act to either make an abnormally large bet (to appear as a bluff) or go over the top of your opponent if they have raised.  The reason this strategy is so effective is because it looks like you are trying to buy your way out of a busted hand and scare your opponent into folding.  This is particularly effective in large pots where the other player has invested a lot in the hand as they may be willing to call just for the chance of winning.

The Flop All-In

Using the Flop All-in reverse bluff is something that you can apply when you flop a set or a made hand.  By moving all-in of the flop, most players will assume that you have come sort of drawing hand and will likely call with top pair or in some cases weaker hands thinking that the odds are in their favour.  This tactic is also obviously very good to use when you are able to put your opponent on a big pair however can also be used effectively in a variety of other situations at the tables.

False Hand

Using a false hand is not the most ethical strategy in poker however is and will continue to be a sneaky way to confuse your competition during live poker games.  Using a false hand call, the player will announce his hand to the table without actually exposing his hole cards in the hopes that the other player in the hand will muck their cards.  If they do this, you will win the hand regardless of whether or not you had what you said you did.  Lying is not an illegal move in poker and is actually an integral part of the game.  Beware when using this tactic that it should be used very infrequently and with caution as it has a tendency to upset the other player for not checking the cards.  Obviously this tactic can only be used in live poker, so next time you are at a friendly game give it a try and test its effectiveness.