Bluffing in Texas Hold'em

How to bluff

1. Be aggressive! Try big raises -- don't raise just a little, because that might encourage opponents with half-decent cards to call and your goal in bluffing is to make your adversaries fold.
2. Give up if they're calling/raising -- if your adversaries keep calling/raising your bet, give up. You don't have a good hand, you'll not win anything by showing the cards, so don't waste money on this.
3. Get caught once in a while -- if you get caught with a bluff, your adversaries might expect you to do it again, so they will be more loose when you actually have some good cards.
4. Change your strategy often in the game -- don't use just one bluffing style, as the adversaries will learn it and use it against you. An imprevisible poker player is a good poker player.

When to bluff

1. When the flop looks dangerous for good hands -- if the cards show 6 - 7 - 8 or three of the same suit, you have a bluff opportunity. Even if they have good cards, like two aces, your opponents might fear a straight or a flush.
2. In late position when no one showed signs of a strong hand -- then it's quite likely they'll give up on a sharp bet.

When you shouldn't bluff

1. Don't bluff bad players -- bad poker players are far more likely to call a bluff than good players, so you might be beaten up by a rather poor hand.
2. Don't bluff players who never quit -- there are some players that almost never quit the game, bluffing these people is a risk, so it's better not to do it.
3. Don't bluff when there are many players -- many players means there are more chance for them to have a good hand who might actually call you.
4. Don't bluff too often -- your poker adversaries will start to call you more and more often, so bluffing should be just a spice, not the main dish in your play.