Showing Bluffs in Poker
Watching poker on television, you will often see a poker player show his bluff and wow the audience. It’s fun to see, but the times that it’s a good idea to show a bluff are few and far between. Many players like to show off how well they bluffed another player, and I’m all for that, because it hive you a better idea of how they play and what they’ll do with certain hands. Think about it-magicians never tell how they do their illusions because it would remove all of their mystique and effectiveness. It’s the same principle with showing how you won a hand. When you raise and another player or players fold their hands, it’s because they are afraid that you have a better hand than they do. When you rake in your chips without showing your cards, you leave them wondering what you had. If you decide to show your bluff however, then you show them an aspect of how you play poker, and they’ll be able to act accordingly the next time you raise.
Conversely, the times that you should show your bluffs are few, but effective. The only time I’ll show my bluff is if I bluff a player who I know has a tendency to go on tilt. If I think that seeing my bluff will enrage him enough to push him over that edge, then it’s worth the reveal.
