There are some big differences between bluffing on the Internet and bluffing in a live game. That much you probably expected. As a general rule, players tend to bluff a little more on the Internet than they do in a live game. The virtual environment of an online poker room makes a lot of players behave more deceptively then they would against a live opponent. Also, it’s easier to commit your chips when you’re playing online, since all you have to do is click your mouse. Compare this to a live game, in which you have to physically move your chips to the center of the table while your opponents are watching you. The end result of this big difference between online bluffing and real-life bluffing is that, online, you’ll have to spend more time keeping your opponents honest.

Looking at it from your opponents’ point of view, however, shows that you should also be careful YOURSELF when bluffing. Your opponents are more likely to call your bluffs online than they would in a live game, since they know damn well how the Internet works! It’s better to choose your bluffs more carefully.

One last thing about bluffing: bluffing can be very valuable under the right circumstances. When you bluff quite often, your opponents are likely to call quite often. You can use this to your advantage when you have a strong hand. Of course, this is one of the oldest poker tricks, and your opponents could very well be doing the exact same thing to you. Also, your opponents online might not be paying as much attention to your moves as your friends do at home, so the whole strategy might not work like it does in live games. Nevertheless, it’s something to save for the right time and place, and hopefully it’ll pay off for you.