Ladies Poker Strategy: Bluffing

According to the scientists, it is harder for women to conceal emotion. On the other hand, lying requires using three parts of the brain and telling the truth uses only one. And, of course, women are better at "multi-tasking" because men's thinking is compartmentalized--they have a harder time using multiple parts of their brains at once. Again, women can benefit from this! Consider the lie detector test, or polygraph exam. They measure our physiological responses to lying. When people tell lies, something primal is triggered in our brains that says we've done wrong. The results? Our hearts beat faster, our palms sweat more, we breathe more rapidly, and our blood pressure raises. When hooked up to a polygraph machine, the examiner will ask you a question, then wait 30 seconds after your answer before moving on to the next question. Why? So it can give your mind a chance to "panic" after possibly telling a lie. During that "panic," the polygraph will see your physiological responses that are congruent with lying.The solution is simple--tell your brain that the question you really answered no to was, "Is my name Jeff?" Your brain will not trigger its traditional response to lying if it doesn't think it is lying. So, when you're trying to pull off a killer bluff, tell yourself over and over again in your head, "I have the nuts. I have the nuts. I have the nuts," or, better yet, think about what's on your grocery list or what you're going to do tomorrow. In an article entitled How to Cheat a Polygraph, it is recommended to do complex math in your head as a distraction. Your hands will stop shaking, your cheeks won't get red, the vein in your neck won't throb visibly.

NUT & BOLTS OF PULLING OFF A BELIEVABLE BLUFFIf you were going to lie to your boss about why you called in sick yesterday, you'd have a well-thought out plan. You'd pick the right day. In fact, you might even plant the seeds of the story before you called in sick by telling everyone how lousy you felt the day before your "day off." The same simple concepts apply to poker bluffing. Traditional male masters of poker say a true, fearless bluffer is measured by his/her ability to "fire the third bullet" (meaning the ability to make one last big bet after the river card). We're women! We work smarter, not harder! Most traditional poker strategy focuses on mastering "the symptoms" of bluffing, rather than mastering "the cause" (practice showing no emotion, etc).If you follow the advice above, you will not need to study the nuts and bolts of bluffing as much (odds, position). The reason is simple...if you are telling yourself, "I have pocket aces," or "I have the nuts," you just need to keep thinking that when you decide how to act. That thought will direct you as to how to proceed--not calculating percentages of the pot and chip stacks. A well-timed bluff, however, is something that must be calculated and planned. Here is where position, chip stacks, blinds, and your read on players comes in. Now that you know how to pull off the bet, you must master when to bluff.A good time to bluff is when you think you can easily win a pot because everyone has limped in and looks bored. So it goes without saying that having late position (being on or next to the button) is beneficial for bluffing. However, don't become predictable or fall into a pattern. In a short-handed game, it can be easier to bluff in any position than at a full table. Another great time to bluff from any position is when you're "on fire" (after winning the last few hands in a row).Depending on your projected table image as a woman, a great time to bluff can be first thing when you sit down at a new table. If you sit down looking confused and asking questions about how to play the game, BLUFF!!! Once you've taken a bit of money from your opponents, switch gears and let the traditional factors determine when you bluff (position, odds, chip stacks).Another factor in strategic bluffing is based on your read of the players at the table. Certain players can be bluffed more easily than others. A common poker rule is that "bad," unskilled players can't and shouldn't be bluffed. In her book Outplaying the Boys, Cat Hulbert recommends that women players try to take advantage of three typical male player types:

- Neanderthal/Macho Man - He wants to control women players and is uncomfortable competing against a woman. He has a big ego and hates losing to a woman.

- Daddykins - He wants to be your father figure. He wants to take you under his wing and make you his protege.

- Mr. Nice Guy - He is sweet and supportive, welcoming you to the table.

For more on poker strategy for women, go to http://www.poker4girls.net