Spot A Bluff in A Poker Game

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How to Catch a Bluff in an Indian Poker Game?

We often see that on screen, a person who bluffs in poker games is depicted as the villain, using his trickery to defeat the hero. However, this is not the case, at all. Bluffing is an integral part of poker, despite what you’ve seen on the television or in movies. It’s a tool that greatly helps a player win the game. You can misdirect your opponents as to the hand you hold. This is bound to get you ahead in the game.

Bluff in poker games is commonly used to confuse your opponents. You mislead them into thinking you have a different hand, than the one you actually hold. You do this by changing your facial expressions, or by betting differently than you would. Not only is it legal to bluff, but it’s something of an art. And it isn’t as unusual as you might think. You’ll definitely see it in live Indian poker games. But don’t be surprised if you see the bluff in online poker games, as well.

But, now that you know this move is not only legal in poker games, but common, how do you spot a bluff in time? Don’t worry; we’ve got the tips you’ll need.

Tips To Spot A Bluff In Indian Poker Games:

1) Betting Pattern:

Whenever you sit to play an Indian poker game, keep an eye on the betting patterns of your opponents. The way a player bets can tell you a lot about their cards. Players tend to place higher bets when they have stronger hands, and place low bets or fold, when they have weaker hands. However, this rule goes out of the window when a player is trying to bluff.

Players, who want to bluff in an Indian poker game, tend to place their bets in an erratic fashion. You’ll see those players placing higher bets on cards that seem average. Their betting pattern will swing in a drastic way. Suppose a player has folded in the pre-flop. This gives an indication that his or her cards might be average. However, if such player starts placing high bets post-flop, you can safely make the assumption that they are bluffing. So, taking note of the betting pattern of the players will clue you in, on whether or not they are planning to bluff.

In short, you can’t bet on the betting pattern of a bluffing player.

2) Intimidating Moves:

A player, who intends to bluff in an Indian poker game, will use several tricks to scare or intimate you. They want to provoke feelings of fear and nervousness in you, so that you lose focus. They hope that your emotional turbulence will cloud your judgment and you won’t be as focused as before. It is a tactic used to distract you from paying close attention to their moves and catching their bluff. Apart from confusing you, if you are disposed to it, these moves can also bully you into not speaking up when you catch their bluff.

Such players will resort to tactics like a verbal outburst. They might say something that’ll confuse you, or talk to you in an aggressive manner, so that you’re caught off guard. They might perform a theatrical stunt, like throwing their chips, which is considered rude in a game, so that they’ve ignited your temper, a bit. Or, they might just sit and treat you to a long stare, intending to cow you down.

Basically they’ll pull out all they’ve got to pull off a bluff in an Indian poker game.

3) Keen Observation:

Every time you sit to play an Indian poker game, you should note down the details about your opponents. Take a moment to gather some insights about them. You should look at their gaming style and consider their gameplay. Maybe you could look at the rapport that some of your competitors share. All of these details might seem inconsequential, but they’ll help you build a sort of a profile on the players. Thus, when they act in any way that’s unusual to their normal manner, you can consider that they might be planning a bluff.

You should also keep track of their moves once the game starts. Notice not only the hands they are playing, but also look at their facial expressions and body language. All of these ‘tells’ can help you notice when they are trying to bluff.

So, keep your eyes and ears open in an Indian poker game, and you’ll know when to worry about a player bluffing.

As we reach the end of our list of hacks to spot a bluff in an Indian poker game, I can bet that you’re well equipped to go out there and spot a few bluffing players, yourself. You can go to a card room and try your luck there, or you can catch a bluff in online poker games. So, don’t waste any more time, and come join us at Spartan, to play poker online!