My latest poker strategy article in the 2+2 Magazine, entitled “Bluff Cooler“, introduces a new term to the poker lexicon:
A “bluff cooler” would mean that a hand in your bluffing range runs into a hand in your opponent’s bluff-catching range. In other words, you have a hand that is very good for bluffing, you execute what you believe will be a profitable bluff against a significant part of your opponent’s range, and he calls you down with a hand that you were never expecting him to fold.
This highlights an important point: you should usually have a bluffing range. Most exceptions to this rule are opponent-specific, so unless you are attempting to exploit a particular player’s overly loose tendencies, you should generally be capable of betting as a bluff or semi-bluff in any situation where you would bet for value.
The article goes on to discuss the best bluffing hands in various situations, a topic that has been on my mind a lot recently. As always, I’m curious to know what you think, so please leave a comment!
I think it makes perfect sense…I’ve used similar terms myself when describing hands (“I tried one 3-barrel bluff all night but of course he flopped the nuts, what a cooler!”).
People have often asked me what kind of poker player I think I am, but I never had a decent word to describe. Now I can tell them I’m a “Bluff Cooler Magnet”
Thanks!
Awesome!