Professional poker players do not play simple slot games like fire joker. Instead, they focus their efforts on knowing what the opponent is thinking. One of the things pro players hate the most is being bluffed. As such, they do what they can to spot a bluffer.
How can professionals do it? In this article, we will show you some techniques that professional poker players use to spot a bluff in the game. In the end, we are hoping that you will use these techniques to improve your game.
1. Acting Too Fast
Poker players take their time. They need to think before they decide because timing tells exists in the game. It means you can tell a lot about a person’s hand by how quickly they decide.
Most recreational players will call on the pre-flop without even thinking. After the flop, they are quick to place bets. In this case, you can almost guarantee that they are bluffing. Why? Poker players who have no good hand want to show strength. The best way to do that is to pretend they have such a good hand that they can afford to wager on without thinking.
Anyone who has a good hand will take the time to think. They will think of the best way to get the best value out of you.
Even in an online game, people need to know what others will think about their actions. In any poker game, you do not want to get overexcited. You want to pretend that you are analyzing the possibilities, even if you have a strong hand.
The bluffers will not do this. What they want to do is rattle the other players. They act too fast, so the others do not have time to think.
2. Raising the Flop Too High
A poker player who raises the flop by 20% is an indication that the player is bluffing. Most players who have good hands raise the flop by only 10%. They do not want to raise it too much because they know that others who have no good hands will fold.
So, if a player has a good hand, he wants to raise the flop by a small percentage. What this does is encourage other players to call the raise. As such, the player with a good hand can win more money. A bluffer will not do this. Instead, he or she will raise the flop immediately. What bluffers want is to make the other players fold and get the pot.
A bet on the flop tells too much about a player. A bluffer will raise it to make other people believe they have a 5-hand card. Do not allow them to intimidate you! Raise or call if you have a good hand.
3. Talking Too Much
When poker players are agitated, you will notice them talk. Yes, even professionals do this. Most of the time, the player who has no good hand is the one who talks too much. Players who have a good hand will always try to conceal their feelings. They do not want to chatter for fear of revealing what their cards are.
In some cases, a professional player may use to be silent during the game. Then, if he has a bad hand, he suddenly talks too much. Why? Because he wants to get back whatever he lost in the previous rounds.
To do this, bluffers have to be brave or act brave. They want to make the impression that they have a good hand. Bluffers starts talking too much to project an air of winning. People do this not only in land-based set-ups but also online.
4. How to Spot the Bluffer
According to experts, the best way to tell if a professional poker player is bluffing is by looking into his eyes. If his eyes show fear, he must be bluffing. Those who have really good hands will not show fear. It is how you can decide if the poker player is bluffing.
You can also look at unusual behavior. For example, if some players suddenly have shaky hands and place a huge raise, they may be bluffing. They are shaking because they know it was a dangerous move in the game.
Spotting a bluffer is difficult. It takes a lot of time to learn how to do it right. Do not rush it because making a bad judgment can cost you a lot — even your seat in the game.
The best way to practice is through social media poker. There are games from Zynga and WSOP that you can download and play on your mobile device. These games are free to play, and you will not spend real money. You will play with actual people, and that’s the reason why it is an excellent way to practice spotting a bluffer.