Have you all seen this article about bluffing?
http://www.helium.com/tm/241227

It talks a little bit about game theory. What do you think?

Bluffing can be used to turn an "unlucky" (and by unlucky I mean just not having the cards) situation into a profitable one. It's a way of having skill overcome luck IMO. It is also useful for creating a table image. If you get caught bluffing, you're likely to get alot more action on your big hands which can turn that original loss from the bluff into a +ev move.

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Without bluffing the best hand would always win... Might as well just deal the cards face up and see who has the best hand.

I suppose this brings the question of what defines bluffing? Is bluffing betting with a hand you know won't win in a showdown or are we talking betting with the worst hand despite you thinking it could possibly be good?

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For Free Money, Poker Gifts and Rakeback I recommend PokerSourceOnline.

I have to recommend Cardrunners for superb poker coaching. It was honestly the single biggest improvement in my game signing up there! Sign-up fee might seem steep, but it pays itself back within weeks.

I think that when your betting the worst hand when you think it was good is a value bet.

Bluffing also keeps you from being an ABC player

I also believe that reading the strength of your opponents hand is equally important. I've won games where I bluffed very little if at all, but I got the advantage by calling someone elses bluff, or reading a weak pair, and so on. Of course, you don't want the reputation of not bluffing at all, people will catch on and fold all of your raises.

I'm 100% honest here, i think i lose more money bluffing then to actual bad beats, because once i get one good bluff down, i don't think i can be beat. And i really need to work on that. Relating to the topic, i think bluffing tells a lot about the way a person plays and how far they're willing to go with their hand.

I hear ya. I have a habit of bluffing all in on the turn with a big A late in the tourney and having the other guy call with a pair and busting me out.

Trying to work on it

Dunno about the definition but for me a bluff is, when you have basically 0% chance of winning the pot with ur hand

If you still have outs it's a semi-bluff only methinks.

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Its important because its what makes the game so intriguing. If there was no bluffing, then the psychology of the game would be completely destroyed. As one guy above me said, you might as well play with your hole card face-up.