BLUFFING and the SEMI-BLUFF in TEXAS HOLD'EM POKER
In low-limit games, a person frequently needs to show down the best hand. Bluffing frequently doesn't work, because players aren't good enough to lay-down a bad hand. One of the biggest mistakes that novice players make is to bluff too much with hands that have no chance of winning.
"Semi-Bluffing" is effective though. A semi-bluff is betting when you don't have the best hand, but have the potential of making the best hand on the turn or river. By betting, you can win two ways--- either by everyone folding, or by making your hand.
Say you are on the button and hold:
 
And the flop comes:
  
It's checked to you and you decide to bet.
This is a good bet, because, although you have nothing, it's possible that no one else has anything either since it was checked to you. If someone does call you, you have an ace-high flush draw (the nut flush), which you have a 35% chance of hitting. Also, if an ace comes on the turn, your pair of aces may then be the best hand. And, since it was checked to you, it's possible that if a ten comes, you may have the best hand as well, since your callers may have paired the 9 or the 4.
An important aspect of semi-bluffing on the flop in late position is the concept of the "free card".
For example, say in late position you hold:
And the flop comes:
You had raised pre-flop, and it is naturally checked to you. You bet. The turn brings a
Since you bet on the flop, any remaining players will usually check to you. You were hoping for an ace or a king, and though you didn't get it, you can check and see the river card for free (hence the name "free card" - the card really isn't free, but it only costs half as much since).
The "free card" is another example of how important position
is in Texas Hold'em, since only late position bettors are able to take
advantage of it.
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