Gambling terms, explained straight

Poker

Bluff poker

A bluff is a bet or raise made with a weak hand, aiming to convince opponents holding better cards to fold.

Also called
Pure bluff; stone-cold bluff1
Applies to
Poker, especially in betting situations where a player can pressure opponents into folding13
Post-oak bluff
A specific subtype where the bet is typically about 1/10 of the pot4

Key points

  • The player wagers as though holding a strong hand, even though the hand is weak, to induce folds13.
  • Effectiveness depends on opponents believing the threat of a stronger hand and folding accordingly13.
  • Bluffing may also be used to disguise play patterns2.

Poker bluff example

You hold 7♣ 2♦ on a flop of A♠ K♦ 3♥. You have no pair, no draw. You bet as if you held a strong ace. If your opponents fold, you win the pot without the best hand. This is a pure bluff.

How to bluff in poker

  1. Choose a situation where your hand is weak but the board suggests you could have a strong hand.
  2. Bet or raise with confidence, as if you hold that strong hand.
  3. Watch your opponents: if they fold, you win. If they call or raise, you may need to give up the bluff.

Where this term is used

Poker Full house poker Explains the poker hand ranking of three of a kind plus a pair. Poker Pai gow poker Covers the casino table game that combines poker hand rankings with Chinese domino rules. Poker Gto poker Describes game theory optimal strategy in poker. Poker Bluff definition General definition of bluffing in gambling contexts beyond poker. Poker Draw poker Explains poker variants where players can exchange cards to improve their hand. Poker Omaha hi-lo rules Omaha hi-lo rules govern a split-pot variant of Omaha in

Sources

  1. Bluff (poker) en.wikipedia.org Primary source for the definition and key characteristics of a bluff in poker.
  2. Glossary of poker terms en.wikipedia.org Supports the use of bluffing to disguise play patterns.
  3. Betting in poker - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Provides context on bluffing within betting in poker.
  4. Post-oak bluff - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Defines the post-oak bluff subtype with its typical bet size.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.