Originally Published: November 4, 2010, 06:16 AM

Poker and the Art of Deception

Posted By Diego | WSOP News | November 4, 2010, 06:16 AM |

Deception is an important aspect of poker. The major form is known as bluffing and the objective is to induce opponents to make mistakes in their play. The primary mistake is folding a stronger hand.
There is also another form of deception which is called slow playing or setting a trap. This is an attempt to induce opponents to remain in the pot when the correct action would be to fold.
The mechanism of bluffing is to make a bet or to raise a bet on a hand which the player does not believe to be the strongest. There are two kinds of bluff. These are a total bluff which is made on a hand that cannot be improved by subsequent cards and which can only win should all the other players fold; and a semi-bluff in which, should the other players fail to fold, still gives the player who makes the bluff the opportunity of improving his hand and winning the pot.
The strength of a bluff is inversely proportional to the propensity of the other player not folding. The more likely the player is to fold, the greater will be the expected value of the bluff.

Timing a bluff is critically important as is the frequency of bluffing. Players who bluff too often will be detected and their bluffs are more likely to be called. Players who rarely bluff will be considered to be tight players and will be treated accordingly. They will be called by players with strong and drawing hands. Some people argue that it is easier to bluff in online poker rooms such as sky poker as the person you’re playing can’t read your face or body language.
Slow playing uses a number of tactics for instance making a flat call. The intention is to make the opponents contribute more to the pot than they should if they were playing correctly. Slow players should have a very strong hand, the card that they are allowing their opponents should be able to help them but only enough to give them a weaker hand than that of the slow player, that raising would be counter-productive and would be likely to induce the opponent to fold.
The ability to practice deception properly is an important tool in any poker player’s toolbox.

Embed Deception is an important aspect of poker. The major form is known as bluffing and the objective is to induce opponents to make mistakes in their play. The primary mistake is folding a stronger hand. <br> There is also another form of deception which is called slow playing or setting a trap. This is an attempt to induce opponents to remain in the pot when the correct action would be to fold. <br> The mechanism of bluffing is to make a bet or to raise a bet on a hand which the player does not believe to be the strongest. There are two kinds of bluff. These are a total bluff which is made on a hand that cannot be improved by subsequent cards and which can only win should all the other players fold; and a semi-bluff in which, should the other players fail to fold, still gives the player who makes the bluff the opportunity of improving his hand and winning the pot. <br> The strength of a bluff is inversely proportional to the propensity of the other player not folding. The more likely the player is to fold, the greater will be the expected value of the bluff. <br><br> Timing a bluff is critically important as is the frequency of bluffing. Players who bluff too often will be detected and their bluffs are more likely to be called. Players who rarely bluff will be considered to be tight players and will be treated accordingly. They will be called by players with strong and drawing hands. Some people argue that it is easier to bluff in online poker rooms such as sky poker as the person you’re playing can’t read your face or body language. <br> Slow playing uses a number of tactics for instance making a flat call. The intention is to make the opponents contribute more to the pot than they should if they were playing correctly. Slow players should have a very strong hand, the card that they are allowing their opponents should be able to help them but only enough to give them a weaker hand than that of the slow player, that raising would be counter-productive and would be likely to induce the opponent to fold. <br> The ability to practice deception properly is an important tool in any poker player’s toolbox.<br /><a href='http://www.pokersbay.com'>Poker</a> | <a href='http://www.pokersbay.com/WSOP/Poker-and-the-Art-of-Deception'>Poker and the Art of Deception</a>