What is semi-bluffing and why should you do it? Semi-bluffing is a crucial weapon in poker, and many players find themselves semi-bluffing much more often than trying to pull off a traditional bluff. If you don't know the principles and ideas behind semi-bluffing, you need to before you see another poker hand.
What is a Semi-Bluff?
A semi-bluff is a bet with a hand that is probably not the best right now, but has a good chance of improving to be the best. The semi-bluffing player can win in two ways. Either the opponents fold to his bet and he wins the pot uncontested, or they call and he hits one of the cards he needs to improve to the best hand, winning an even larger pot.
What Are Typical Semi-Bluffing Situations?
Generally, a semi-bluff happens when you have four cards to a flush or a straight in online Texas holdem poker. For example, you hold Ah 5h and the flop is 8h Kh 3s. If you bet and are called, you still have a chance to make a winning flush, but if no one has a king, you'll probably win the pot right now. A similar situation would be if you held Jc Qc and the flop was Ts Kh 3d.
Why Semi-Bluff?
Semi-bluffs are popular because they allow you to make a bold play, a bluff, while still leaving you an escape hatch if it doesn't work out. In addition, when a flush comes, it is often hard to get paid, because it is obvious that a flush is out there. But if you can build the pot early in the hand with a semi-bluff, you have a much better chance of getting paid off on your flush.
Things to Keep in Mind About Semi-Bluffing
Try to make sure you are drawing to the nuts or close to it when you semi-bluff. If you have 8h 9h and are semi-bluffing on a flop of 6h Qh 3c, you could be in serious trouble if your opponent is drawing to the ace or king high flush. Similarly, if you've got a straight draw and there are two of a suit out there, you could be drawing slimmer than you think.
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