Tip # 49 of 52, When to bluff in limit hold'em.

Although it may appear that successfully bluffing in low limit hold'em is a next-to- impossible endeavor, you can take advantage of some opportunities. Here are some dos and Don'ts to guide you as you prepare to steal:

Dos

• Do bluff against two opponents or fewer. Often in situations against only one or two players, neither of your opponents has much of a hand. Often both have been on draws that never materialized. As your hand-reading skills develop, you will learn when bluffs have the greatest chance of success, and you can limit your attempts to those times.
• Do bluff when scare cards hit. We discussed this in Tip 38, but it is worth repeating. A bluff has a much better chance of success if your opponents can fold confidently. Bluffing when a random card comes often leads to calls out of curiosity as much as any other reason. However, when the fourth card of a suit appears, or the fourth consecutive card to a straight, or possibly when the board double-pairs, it should seem pretty obvious what you hold if you bet. Now, your opponents can fold, convinced not only that they are beat, but also of how it happened.
• Do bluff when an aggressive player shows weakness. Aggressive players tend to bet when they have anything at all (and sometimes when they Don't). So, if they check, it often means that they have given up on the hand. Although they may be checking something like middle pair (which they will call you with), it is probably worth a shot to bluff in this spot, as you know they can't have too much.

Dont's

• Don't attempt to steal multiway pots. Someone nearly always calls a bet when five or more players are in the hand. Your opponents often realize that a stronger hand is required to win in this situation; consequently, they may choose to check and call with all but their best hands.
• Don't bluff behind a passive player's check. Passive players check hands that aggressive players routinely bet for value. So, Don't make the mistake of interpreting a passive player's check as a sign of weakness. Rather, it's just an indication that he does not hold the nuts. It certainly doesn't mean you won't get called, though, so save your bluff for a better time.
• Don't bluff when chronic calling stations are in the pot. These players often call with next to nothing. If you are the one holding nothing, then a calling station's hand will win. You are throwing away money if you try to bluff these guys.