Winners are Judiciously Deceptive

Deception is essential in poker, but many people don't analyze when and how they should be deceptive. They do what makes them comfortable, not what will get the best results. Some players love bluffing so much that they do it too often, even against calling stations. Others slow-play or try to check-raise, or don't bluff enough against rocks.

Deciding when and how to be deceptive depends primarily on your opponents' skills and playing styles. This material is from my book The Psychology of Poker.

Against Loose-Aggressive Players (LAPs)

Don't try to bluff them.

Don't try to steal their blinds or bring-ins. You can gain so little, but lose so much.

Bet into, raise, or check-raise them for value on the later streets. If you think that you have the best hand, overplay it.
Invite them to bluff. They love to bluff.

Check-raise frequently. A check-raise is less risky and more profitable against them than against any other player. The danger that everyone will check behind you is obviously reduced, and many people will call if he bets.

Slow-play big hands. Let the LAPs build the pot, because more people will call his bets than yours.

Against Loose-Passive Players (LPPs)

Bet and raise for value with weak or questionable hands. You can bet quite weak hands for value because they will call with even weaker ones.

Don't bluff.

Don't try to check-raise, because they will usually check behind you.

Don't slow-play big hands. Since they may not bet or raise, you will lose money on this round and increase the chance of someone drawing out on you.

Against Tight-Passive Players (TPPs)

Don't check-raise. They will probably check behind you, unless they have you beat.

Don't slow-play big hands.

Bluff and semibluff frequently, but selectively. They are the easiest people to bluff, because they will fold quite good hands. But remember that they will check hands that most people bet. If you bluff because they checked, you may be shocked to see a good hand.

Steal their blinds or antes. A TPP will hardly ever call. If he does call, he is unlikely to bet because he is afraid of your raise, and you will get chances to draw out.

Against Tight-Aggressive Players (TAPs)

Because most of your tougher opponents are tight-aggressive, you must be deceptive. Otherwise, they will read and outplay you. For specific advice, read Barry Tanenbaum's Advanced Limit Hold'em Strategies. My book made just a few general recommendations.

Mix up your game. Being predictable can be deadly with them. If you don't mix up your game, they will soon learn how to read you, then beat you mercilessly.

Make fewer pure bluffs, but be willing to semibluff. It is usually easier to bluff good players than bad ones, but good TAPs study players intensely. They read tells well, and they have enough confidence in their skill to call with weak hands. Perhaps this TAP can't read you. Try him out a couple of times, and follow the guidelines for bluffing TPPs. If your bluffs work, fine. If not, you've been warned.

Don't bet marginal hands for value. Since a TAP would not be in there without good cards, he may well have you beat. If he has a better hand, he will probably raise. If you have him beat, he will probably fold. A good TAP can make plays that cause you to make mistakes.

Check-raise less often. The logic is the same as it was for TPPs, but it is even stronger because of the danger of a reraise. Since they are tight, they may check behind you. If they do bet, they may have you beat. Worse yet, if they bet and you raise, they may reraise. If your hand is worth a bet, go ahead and bet it.

Don't try to steal their blinds. Since TAPs do not overprotect their blinds, your attempts to steal will often succeed. However, when they fail, they can be quite costly. If a TAP calls, you are one-on-one with a tough player, and your cards are weak. That's the last place you want to be.

When and How Should You Bluff?

Successful bluffs may be the most enjoyable form of deception. Winning without a hand is a much bigger kick than winning with one. To get that kick, many losers bluff at the wrong times and in the wrong ways. Their emotions outweigh their profit motive.

The following information is from Matt Lessinger's The Book of Bluffs, the definitive work on bluffing. Since quotations and paraphrases are mixed, I have omitted quotation marks.

First and most important, the risk/reward ratio (RRR) should influence almost all of your decisions. Consider three issues:

1. What does it cost you to bluff?
2. How much will you win if the bluff succeeds?
3. What are your chances of success?

Issues No. 1 and No. 2 are usually easy to calculate, and Matt focuses on No. 3, your chances of success. He tells you:

• When to bluff by teaching you how to analyze factors such as your opponents' playing styles, calling patterns, and tells.
• How to bluff with many examples and his Twelve Bluffing Proverbs.

They are all valuable, but I can discuss only three of them:

No. 7: Indecisiveness leads to failure. You must be strong. Any indecisiveness will work against you.

No. 8: A good bluff tells a story that the victim believes and understands. Let him remain confident in his fold. Confusion leads to curiosity. Curiosity often leads to calls.

No. 11: You can't be afraid of running a failed bluff. Some people avoid bluffing for fear of embarrassment. You have to get over that fear, because - to play optimal poker - many of your bluffs will fail.

What matters is how much money you make from your successful bluffs compared to how much you lose from your unsuccessful ones.

Your primary question about bluffing should be the same as the one about everything else: What effects will it have on your profits? In other words, bluff for profits, not for fun.

Winners' Laws

Being judiciously deceptive is a major difference between winners and losers. Many losers either play too straightforwardly or make fancy plays for the fun of it. Either extreme hurts their bottom line. Since emotions can have such destructive effects on your decisions, these Winners' Laws emphasize the way you think and feel about deceptiveness.

1. Accept that deception is both legitimate and essential.

You cannot win against even moderately competent players until you accept this reality. If you feel inhibited about playing deceptively, you will lose to anyone who knows how to play.

2. Constantly analyze your own motives.

Repeatedly ask yourself: Why am I acting deceptively or straightforwardly? If you are doing it for fun or because of inhibitions, you are probably costing yourself chips.

3. Play deceptively or straightforwardly only when it increases your long-term profits.

Disregard your guilt about being dishonest, your fear of looking foolish, and the kick you get from fancy moves. Do whatever will improve your long-term profits. Since you may have to sacrifice short-term profits, make sure that your sacrifices are worth it.

To learn more about yourself and other players, you can buy Dr. Schoonmaker's books, Your Worst Poker Enemy and Your Best Poker Friend, at CardPlayer.com.