Poker glossary
Pure bluff
Glossary
Pure bluff
Basic Definition
A pure bluff in poker refers to the act of betting or raising to make your opponent fold when your hand has little to no chance of winning. A bluff made when you have a drawing hand is called a semi-bluff.
Specific Situation
- When the flop is AK7 and your hand is 62, you place a bet with the intention of making your opponent fold, despite having a very weak hand.
- When the river shows QJ986 and your hand is 45, clearly not completing a straight and in a losing position, you make a large bet to force your opponent to fold.
Important Information
- When executing a pure bluff, it's important to carefully consider the board situation and your opponent's play style. For example, if your opponent is a tight player, the success rate might be higher.
- Bluffing is necessary to extract chips from your opponent when you have a strong hand. Therefore, it's important to execute pure bluffs at the right frequency.
Examples of Term Usage
"My opponent made a timid check on the turn, so I tried a pure bluff on the river, but they called and I lost."


