How can you tell if someone is bluffing in poker?

Question

When playing against an experienced player with a good poker face what is the best way to tell if he or she is bluffing?

Answer 1

Most good experienced players do not bluff often. When they do they often pick their spot, like against a short stack, or when they are short stacked. So by looking for certain situations you can get an idea. Caro's theory of strong means weak and weak means strong, also holds some truth, but the better the player the less you can rely on this.

The best way that I tell if someone is bluffing is I look at all their plays for the whole hand and see if they make sense. If a large bet makes sense based on the pattern of cards, I take heed. If not, I smell a bluff. The biggest factor is the quality of the player. You are not going to catch good players bluffing often because good players don't bluff that much. So unfortunately their is no magic answer, but just experience, and sometimes bad experiences to help you sort it out. Good luck.

Answer 2

There is no definite way to tell when someone is bluffing because it varies from player to player. The best way is to 'feel out' the player a little during the game. Watch their movements and patterns to try to gain an understanding of how they do things. Notice certain mannerisms like, touching their face, not making eye contact, etc.

Answer 3

More important than knowing whether he is bluffing, is to know the relative strength of your hand, and how to bet it. I just won a 40 person tournament at a casino tonight, and I never even attempted to read what other players were doing. All I did was play my position, my stack, and my cards in that order. If you are playing a cash game, as opposed to a tournament, you should aggressively play strong hands, and fold weaker hands. Chasing cards will lose you a lot of money in the long run. For instance, if you have KJ or better, it is a good idea to bet at least 3-5x the big blind depending on your position. Rather than looking for your friend's tells, you should learn how to play against different player types. Generally it is good to play aggressively against tight players, and tight against aggressive players. For example, your friend sounds aggressive. The best strategy would be to fold until you make a decent starting hand, and them re-raise him pre-flop. That way you will either force him to fold or commit more chips. Either way you will have the advantage in the long run.

Answer 4

The poor player I often play, when he has a good hand, he bets high and says something along the lines off "you chicken you are going to fold now", so I do fold. If he makes a big bet quietly without saying anything, it tells me he is nervous and unsure that his hand is good enougth. This rule only applies to this one player though. So you got to get used to the players you play, and pick up on THEIR signs to tell you when they are or are not bluffing.

Answer 5

Look for the signs, like his breathing rises and he starts playing cards hastily.

Answer 6

Study their little tells and body language in prior games you have observed.

Answer 7

If they are really that good, you won't be able to tell, but sometimes whenb you play w/ them for a while you will start to notice how they play, just pay attention to their reactions and the way they play their cards!
EXPEREINCE pays off!

Answer 8

you have to study their behavior. try watching the movies 'The Sting' and 'Maverick'. That's how I've learned to bluff ;)

Answer 9

if i knew the answer to the question would I be here on yahoo or out winning money

Answer 10

watch their face.mouth and eye movements.watch their hands also.

Answer 11

Wait until after the hand is over and ask to see his/her cards.