What is Bluff in poker?

A bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand that is unlikely to win a showdown, aiming to convince the opponent to fold a better hand. An effective bluff needs a consistent story built across the streets, a board texture that supports the story, and an opponent whose range is realistically capable of folding. Bluffing too often or in the wrong spots turns you into an easy target, so strong players calibrate bluff frequency carefully rather than bluffing on instinct alone.

Bluff (Bluff) belongs to the Strategy group of poker terms and shows up in almost every hand of Texas Hold'em. If you are starting out, read the poker rules and the hand rankings first, then come back here. To practise risk-free you can play against our AI right on the site.