[Intermediate Poker Players Need to Know] What is Bluffing and Value in Poker!

About Bluffing and Value

The goal of poker is to maximize profits.
To achieve this, when you have a strong hand, you should increase the pot size, and when you have a weak hand, you need to bet in a way that makes your opponent fold.
In other words, the ideal play is to ”get calls on your value bets and folds on your bluff bets.”

Value Bet

A bet intended to maximize the amount of chips won when holding a hand stronger than the opponent’s.

Bluff Bet

A bet aimed at making the opponent fold a hand stronger than yours.

How to Execute Bluffs and Value Bets

To make a value bet work, you need to grow the pot without making weaker hands fold, and to make a bluff bet work, you need to make stronger hands fold.

This means you need to estimate how strong your hand is against the opponent’s range and consciously decide whether to make a bluff bet or a value bet.
Also, when making a value bet, focus on the opponent’s hand range that won’t fold, and when bluffing, target the range that can be made to fold.

For thinking in terms of ranges, see here

Opponent's Hand Range

Estimate the opponent’s hand range based on pre-flop range, actions, and bet sizes.

The pre-flop range is a crucial clue to understand what hands the opponent might hold. Additionally, understanding the opponent’s actions and bet sizes helps estimate their range.

The Strength of Your Own Hand

Consider how strong your hand is against the opponent’s range.
Initially, categorize your hand into one of these three:

• Value Hand
• Bluff Hand
• Marginal Hand

Value Hand

Hands that are winning against most of the opponent’s range.

River

You bet 800 on the river holding a two-pair of 9 and J.
The opponent’s range can include:

• Hands that can’t call like missed draws.
• Hands you are winning against that can call, like underpairs below 88, 9 hits, 7 hits, 4 hits, A high.
• Hands you are losing against like 44, 77, J.

Considering the number of combinations, you have more winning hands. Therefore, your hand can be classified as a value hand. The fact that there are many hands in the opponent’s range that you beat and can still call justifies a value bet on the river.

Bluff Hand

Bluff hands are those losing against most of the opponent’s range.

River

Holding ❤J❤T, you missed a straight and flush draw, and with just J high, you are losing against most of the opponent’s range, making this a bluff hand.

Target hands that can fold for your bluff bet include:

• Middle pair hits like 4.
• Lower pair hits like 6 and 9.
• Underpairs below 77 (excluding 44, 66).

Marginal Hand

Hands that are uncertain whether they’re winning or losing against the opponent’s range. These hands have showdown value, but since there are many hands you’re losing against, checking is common.

Showdown Value

The value of showing your hand at showdown.
If there are combinations in the opponent’s range that your hand beats, it can be considered valuable.

Specific Examples

Let’s consider specific situations for value and bluff bets.

Pre-flop

You are in the CO position.
Pre-flop, you join with a raise of 600, and the opponent (BB) calls.

Flop

The opponent checks, you bet 500, and the opponent calls.

Turn

The opponent checks, and you bet 1500, which the opponent again calls.

River

The opponent checks.
In this situation, what hands should you value bet or bluff bet with?

First, consider the opponent’s hand range.
They have been calling since pre-flop, making strong hands like AA, QQ less likely. They might have hits like A, Q, 9, or draws like flush or straight.
The opponent’s range can be categorized as follows:

• Strong Hands
  Straights (86), sets (55 etc.), two pairs (A9, Q9 etc.), one pair of A.
• Marginal Hands
  One pair of Q, 9, 7, etc.
• Weak Hands
  Missed straight draws (KJ, KT, J8s, JTs etc.), missed flush draws.

Considering the opponent’s range, classify your hand as follows. Make a value bet with value hands, a bluff bet with bluff hands, and avoid betting with marginal hands.

• Value Hands Straights (86), sets (AA, QQ, 99, 77, 55), one pair of A, two pairs (Q9, 97, etc.).
• Bluff Hands Missed straight draws (KJ, KT, etc.), missed flush draws (K8s, K6s, J8s, JTs, etc.).
• Marginal Hands One pair of Q (QJ, QT, etc.), one pair of 9 (K9, J9, T9, etc.), weak pockets (66, etc.).

Summary

This chapter discussed value and bluff bets.
By considering the opponent’s range and mixing value and bluff hands in your bets, you can maximize profits.
The worst thing is to get called only on your strong hands and get folds only on your weak hands.
Think carefully about the opponent’s hand range and make the right value and bluff bets.