This is our third article on types of bluffs in poker, and players who enjoy USA online poker can now find out more about so-called stone-cold bluffs. So, what are they exactly?
Another name for a stone-cold bluff is a "total bluff." Basically, when you want to pull off this bluff, you have no chance at all at actually winning a hand. You know just by looking at your hole cards that there's little to no chance that the community cards are going to help you, but you proceed with betting, with one goal in mind — to make others fold.
Therefore, it's a brave move, and you need to be so persuasive to make others think that your cards are that good that they simply must fold, while the reality is completely opposite, and you actually have no chances of winning the hand.
Be Aggressive
The stone-cold bluff is usually pulled out with very aggressive betting. It sometimes even involves going all-in on the flop or even the pre-flop. However, players often make stone-cold bluffs on the turn and the river, when there's a lot of money in the game.
The deeper you go into the hand, the chances of other players actually calling your bet increase. Therefore, most of the players attempt stone-cold bluffs on the pre-flop or flop, as other players are still very eager to give up at that point and fold.
Most professionals advise attempting stone-cold bluffs only when you play heads-up, as more players increase the chances of someone actually calling your bet and seeing through your bluff.
However, many poker players agree that you should avoid making stone-cold bluffs whenever possible as they come with great risk and you can lose a lot of chips if you don't pull it off the right way.
The only scenario when you should actually consider bluffing your way out is when you play against only one opponent, and you have already bet a lot of chips. If you know that your opponent is a tight player and that there's a chance for them to fold despite being deep in the hand, then you might consider bluffing them into folding.
If you want to test this strategy, make sure to do it in low-stakes games in order not to lose a lot of money if things go awry. Some of the best USA poker sites offer various poker games where you can practice bluffing and other interesting poker strategies.