If you never bluffed...

I've been playing limit Holdem at 1/2 & 2/4 for a few months now with limited success (1.9BB/100). I started playing two tables at once a week ago and I noticed that:
1. My pre-flop play was tighter
2. I was more willing to fold
3. I virtually never bluffed anymore
4. My winnings so far seem to be the same as usual.
My question is - how successful can poker player be playing tight-agressive-sensible but NEVER BLUFFING?! What would happen?<font color="green"> </font>

[Jimbo]

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My question is - how successful can poker player be playing tight-agressive-sensible but NEVER BLUFFING?!

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You would only be tight, not aggressive. Vegas is full of retired rocks that rarely bluff. Most of them make a small supplemental income so if that is your definition of success go for it.

[AaronBrown]

In theory, you cannot win at Poker without bluffing. That assumes that people figure out you never bluff, and thus only call or raise you when they have hands better than the average hand you bet with.

In practice, it's perfectly reasonable not to bluff as long as people are giving you the calls you need to make a profit. When that changes, you can loosen up (not bluff, just play moderate hands) and steal a lot of blinds and small pots. When people start calling again, you can consider either bluffing or going back to tight. As long as people are slow to react, they're always playing you wrong, and you can win. In on-line play people may never catch on.

There's no law that says you have to bluff. You only do it if it makes you money.

[Kaeser]

I think you need to take the limit your playing at into account. I play 3/6 live and rarely if ever bluff because it rarely if ever works. There is no reason to bluff as long as you are against opponents who will call your strong hands.

[Jimbo]

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I think you need to take the limit your playing at into account. I play 3/6 live and rarely if ever bluff because it rarely if ever works. There is no reason to bluff as long as you are against opponents who will call your strong hands.

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So you are saying if you flopped an open-ended straight flush draw and were last to act you wouldn't bet? Odd if you ask me.

[count1]

I play low limit ($2-$4) stud/8 and I rarely bluff. I will only semi-bluff or bluff at a pot if I know my opponents are capable of being bluffed. I have had more success by waiting for strong hands and playing them accordingly.

[Sykes]

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I think you need to take the limit your playing at into account. I play 3/6 live and rarely if ever bluff because it rarely if ever works. There is no reason to bluff as long as you are against opponents who will call your strong hands.

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So you are saying if you flopped an open-ended straight flush draw and were last to act you wouldn't bet? Odd if you ask me.

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That's not bluffing. That's betting with the best hand.

[OrangeKing]

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I think you need to take the limit your playing at into account. I play 3/6 live and rarely if ever bluff because it rarely if ever works. There is no reason to bluff as long as you are against opponents who will call your strong hands.

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So you are saying if you flopped an open-ended straight flush draw and were last to act you wouldn't bet? Odd if you ask me.

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Nobody said anything about not semi-bluffing, though. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Interesting thread, informative, thanks

[UATrewqaz]

Online you could do very well never bluffing, because the whole reason for occasionally bluffing is not only to win pots but also to enforce the idea "Hey I bluff, you should call my bets cuz I could be bluffing"

Online your opponents change out so much nobody can notice your tendencies as much.