is it correct to show a bluff sometimes, all the time, or never?

Originally Posted by Andre

is it correct to show a bluff sometimes, all the time, or never?

Only to alter your table image from tight to looser. NEVER to brag about it. Some will show a bluff to get another player on tilt but the problem with that is, everyone else at the table sees it too. 99.9% of the time, muck it and say "good laydown" or nothing at all.

I think showing bluffs is way overrated, and done mostly for that player's ego. It's a "hey, look how good I am" type of play. It might satisfy their ego, but if I'm sitting their observing the hand, I'd lay 2:1 odds I'm going to nail them if they do the same thing to me. Of course, some good players will use this to set a trap, so beware (but if you can't tell the good players from the bad in the first 20 minutes, you're the latter).

This is not to say don't show hands down. I do all the time, but I show down the strong ones, particularly if I have a really nice run of cards. I will also show down a strong hand that wins in a walk (I'm in the BB and nobody challenges me) late in a tourney to help ward off blind stealers.

When i sit down at a game, I try and pinpoint the tightest player...and then I bluff him out (its usually easy since he's tight). I then show the bluff...

I'm usually a tight player, so when I do this, people are more likely to call me in the future, when I'm usually not bluffing.

Works for me

Never show them anything. It's information. It's much more powerful to have them guessing wether you were bluffing or not.

But always keep in mind how they see you, not how you see yourself.

If you are playing tight, conservative poker, but are on a great run of cards and havent had to show down a lot of hands............you may think you're tight and be itching to make a move. Remember they see you as a guy who has been splashing around picking up uncontested pots. Tighten up even further. Because the one time that you make a move with nothing wil be the time they decide to push back.

i think u shouldnt show bluffs cause being caught bluffing is better than showing one

Originally Posted by Antneye

Never show them anything. It's information. It's much more powerful to have them guessing wether you were bluffing or not.

But always keep in mind how they see you, not how you see yourself.

If you are playing tight, conservative poker, but are on a great run of cards and havent had to show down a lot of hands............you may think you're tight and be itching to make a move. Remember they see you as a guy who has been splashing around picking up uncontested pots. Tighten up even further. Because the one time that you make a move with nothing wil be the time they decide to push back.

I never show hands where I hit draws on 4th or 5th street. I absolutely do not want them to understand my betting pattern. I usually show hands I win PF like AK, AA, QQ, KK - particularly if I made a deceptive play (like limped in EP with a big pair) followed by a big reraise that's not called. Can't let that deceptive play go to waste. Or I'll show if I hit a monster on the flop (AQs hits 2 pair on the flop or flops the flush or nut straight). I have a policy of never showing weaker starting hands unless for a very, very specific reason.