October 14, 2009
Stealing Blinds
Stealing blinds is a necessary part of poker online. A lot of tentative players try to play honestly because they are unnerved by the thought of bluffing, but no poker strategy is complete without a few key bluffs to keep you along. Stealing up a few pots is more than just throwing chips at your opponents when you’ve missed your pot, however. There are many calculations that need to be made in order to maximize your potential for buying up a pot.
How good is your hand? A bluff doesn’t have to happen with the absolute worst hands. You may have a small pair, or be on a draw and still try to buy up the pot. The fact is, the more outs you have, the more confident your bluff will be.
Which opponents are you trying to bluff? It’s no use trying to bluff a calling station, because those guys won’t fold for anything. Try to bluff against an opponent who you know is passive and is more likely to fold.
How often have you bought pots? If you bluff too often, your online poker opponents will catch on. Try to stagger your bluff attempts with some honest poker to keep everyone on their toes.
