Bluffing happens to be one of the chief elements in the game of poker. It is one hand that makes a game more interesting and real. If in all the games of poker, ever player would know each other’s cards, it is the best hand that would always win the game. Would that be fun?

The fact remains that poker is one such game that is imperfect to the core, and only incomplete information can actually make it possible to win this game by denoting that you have the very best hand. You must get other players to believe that you actually have an excellent hand to win the game. That is what we call a "bluff." Despite not having a good hand, you pretend to have one, and the opponent believes it.

Simply put, to bluff actually means to raise or bet with a weak or inferior hand. Bluffing has become an essential part of poker and is definitely an important skill for some of the best poker players in this business. It is very important for you to understand how to bluff and when exactly you should bluff in order to become a winner of this game. It becomes easier to win a game of poker when you have already dealt aces for every hand, but the odds are against the same. If you want to become a profitable player, you will have to win with the inferior cards as well.

Bluffing is also a tactic that is used across poker tables. If you know how to bluff well, you would be a winner; if you don’t, you might have to hone your bluffing skills. Whenever you think you are in a position to bluff, you will have to choose from two bluffs as mentioned below:

• Pure Bluffing: When a player raises or bets despite having a really bad hand that would never allow him to win the game, it is called a case of pure bluff. This is done with the intention to make the other players think and then fold immediately. While a pure bluff almost actually works, it may not once in a while. Therefore, before giving a pure bluff, one must weigh all the pros and cons and proceed.

• Semi Bluff: A semi-bluff hand is played when the player bets on one such hand that is definitely not one of the best hands at that point of time, but there is more room for improvement in the later stages. A semi-bluff move is definitely a better and well planned move in the game of poker.

However, the final choice of the type of bluff a player would call depends entirely on the player and the situation of the game.