The art of bluffing is commonly employed by poker players during the game.  Poker games like Texas Holdem players use this concept to elude other players from knowing who has the better hand especially when you may not.  But in order to ensure your bluffing tactics work you should consider raising the pot as if you have a better hand than you really do.

Bluffing requires careful consideration, but if you remember these few tips you’ll be an expert at bluffing in no time.

1. Players anticipate bluffing by other players so make sure you bluff at the right time and not just because everyone else is bluffing.  If you’re busted bluffing on a bad hand you’ll be labeled as a bad bluffer.  Watch other players bluff and wait on the right times, that way other players will respect your bluff.
2. Avoid blind bluffing when there are too many players bluffing at the same time.  There’s a greater chance that another player has a better hand and will fun the pot up higher.
3. Avoid bluffing with poor poker players because they don’t know what their doing.  In most case they will call your bluff simply to see what you have in your hand.  This will increase the other players hand by simply bluffing on any bid.
4. Don’t bluff when you’ve lost several hands in a row.  Other poker bluffers are watching the pattern and will expect you make ill rationale move to win back your money and they’ll be prepared to call you on your bluff.

These are examples of the wrong time to bluff and just as there is a time to bluff in poker there is also the right time to bluff.  Remember bluffing should be done in moderation but knowing when the time is right is key.

1. It always a good time to bluff against players that are weak or tight with their money.  This comes from observing the game to get a basic feel of how other players play the game. Once you determine the weak and/or tight players you can pounce on them with strong bluffs since they have a tendency to fold easily.  This is where you develop the skill of not bluffing too soon in the game since these players won’t because they’ll believe you don’t have anything to bluff with or they may have a good hand of their own to bluff against.
2. A good time to bluff is when a smaller group of online poker players are in the pot.  This is because it’s much easier to bluff with a few people than a larger playing pool.  Chances are the few hands playing most players are playing conservatively.
3. The best time to bluff is when all the other players opt to check the hand rather than call and you’re the last one to bet.  This action forces other bluffers with weak hands to fold and in some cases they may not believe you have a good and will call your bet.   This allows you an opportunity to see where the stronger hands are or who’s a better bluffer, either way it’s a good strategy to follow.
4. Making a sizable bet on the pre-flop is a good strategy when you have two strong cards.  This will make other players think you have a strong hand on the flop. This is used as a part of  Texas hold’em bluffing
5. Bluff when you notice other players are intimidated by your winning streak.  When opponents begin commenting on your winnings hand, try running the same bluffing strategies on them that beat them in the pass.  In this case they will be intimidated and more than likely fold if you play your hand right.

There are other online bluffing tips and methods such as partial bluffing and bait bluffing; however these are more advance techniques that can be adapted over time.