Bluffing from Early Position

Bluffing is a vital skill for any internet poker player but utilizing it fully can be a double-edged sword. One situation where bluffing can really benefit you on occasion is from an early position at the table, even under the gun. By strategically using a bluff from the early position, you can keep other players off guard and often profit handsomely in the process. It is important to note that bluffing from an early position should only be done on occasion. Like most things in life, moderation is the key to success. There are A number of things to take into account when you think about bluffing from an early position.

The first thing you should do is to save your bluff for a hand that is decent. Bluffing with an eight three can be very bad if you get called so bluffing with something like jack nine or some other mediocre hand is the right way to go. You have to remember that you are in an early position and, as a result, the typical range of hands that you can play from this position is greatly reduced. Furthermore, the number of hands that you should raise with from these positions is even less so any player who will call you probably has something in their hand. One other thing to note about bluffing from an early position at the table is to make sure that you have a tight table image before you make an attempt to do it. If you are calling and raising all the time from any position with almost any two cards, chances are people are not going to give you credit for a big hand and call you on your bluff.

The next thing that you should do is make sure that your bet is large enough to represent a big hand. In order to bluff from an early position, you are going to have to make a chip commitment. Committing to the bluff is important. If you get one or two people who call, you should always make a sizeable bluff at the pot after the flop in almost every scenario. This is what is called a continuation bet and, especially if the players who are still in the pot did not hit anything, this will force them to fold and pick you up a nice large pot. It is important to remember that the other people at the Club WPT table think you have a very strong hand so use this image to your advantage and playing the cards that your opponents think you have. Usually, the post flop bet is enough to scare the rest of the people out and to collect the pot.

Adding some bluffs from an early position is a great way to spice up your play and add variety to your game. One of the most dangerous traps that a poker player can fall into is becoming too predictable in how they play the game and making bluffs from an early position can keep your opponents on their toes and guessing what you will do next.