The Bluff
All successful poker players must be able to make a well-timed bluff. The bluff is probably the most talked-about poker concept, although it is not used as often as people believe. Still, to exclude bluffing from poker would result in an uninteresting game: If you never bluff you become too predicable and will not be able to maximize your winnings, much less win at all. You bluff when you have no chance of winning the pot or when you are trying to steal the pot before all the cards are dealt. In a cash game, it is possible to calculate whether a bluff will be profitable or not. To do this, you compare the odds of making a successful bluff to the size of the bet and the size of the pot. Therefore, an important skill is the ability to determine the likelihood that your opponent/s will fold.