In chapter 20 of The Theory of Poker, David Sklansky explains how to deliberately push opponents away from correct bluffing strategy by either encouraging them to bluff more (inducing bluffs) or scaring them out of bluffing (stopping bluffs), depending on their natural tendencies.
Why Mess With Your Opponents’ Bluffing Frequency?
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A player who bluffs approximately correctly is very dangerous: they force you into tough, borderline decisions and often make you wrong either way.
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A player who never bluffs or bluffs way too much is much easier to exploit.
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Your goal is to nudge opponents away from optimal bluffing:
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Against someone who already bluffs too much → induce even more bluffs.
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Against someone who bluffs too little → shut their bluffs down further.
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If you succeed, their bluffing becomes mathematically bad for them and profitable for you.
The Two Golden Rules
Sklansky stresses two key logical requirements:
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If you try to induce a bluff and they bet, you must call.
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You wanted them to bluff more. If you now fold, you’ve just helped them steal more pots without ever paying for it.
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If you try to stop a bluff and they bet, you must fold.
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You’ve deliberately made it clear you’re “strong.” If they still fire, you should assume they really have it. Calling defeats the purpose of having discouraged their bluffs.
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If you don’t follow these rules, your inducing/stopping attempts become self-sabotage.
Artificial vs Strategic Techniques
Artificial Tricks
These are psychological ploys that mostly work only on average players:
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To stop bluffs:
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Reach for chips as if eager to call; some opponents won’t dare bluff into “obvious” strength.
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To induce bluffs:
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Look like you’re ready to fold, sigh, act weak or uninterested, hoping they fire with nothing.
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Strong players often see through these and may reverse-adjust (bluff because you look eager to call, or check because you look weak), so these tricks have limited use at higher levels.
Strategic Ways to Stop Bluffs
Main idea: represent more strength than you really have, so opponents decide bluffing you is a bad idea.
Example: Draw Poker, Stopping a Bluff
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You open with a decent one-pair hand (like aces).
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A late-position caller is almost certainly on a draw.
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On the draw:
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Opponent draws one card (trying to make their hand).
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You stand pat with your single pair, as if you already have a strong made hand.
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Result:
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Opponent assumes you’re very strong and will rarely bluff the river.
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If they do bet, you can safely fold, confident they’re almost always made.
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By standing pat, you:
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Almost completely remove their bluffing range.
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Lose only when they actually make a winning hand.
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Avoid being forced into marginal call-or-fold decisions.
Example: Hold’em, Stopping Bluffs With a Raise
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You have a vulnerable but decent hand (e.g., two small pair).
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Board allows draws (flushes, straights).
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A good player (who bluffs correctly) bets into you.
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You raise, projecting strength.
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If they call with a draw and miss, they’ll almost never bluff the river after facing that raise.
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If they reraise or bet again on the end, you usually fold, assuming a real hand.
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The raise functions as:
“If you go on, you must have it – and I’ll only continue if I respect that.”
Strategic Ways to Induce Bluffs
Main idea: represent weakness so opponents fire more often with marginal hands and outright bluffs.
Example: Draw Poker, Inducing Against an Aggressive Player
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You open with a decent pair (say queens or aces).
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An aggressive opponent calls and draws one card (obvious draw).
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To encourage a bluff:
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You draw three cards, making it clear you’re likely starting with only one pair.
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On the final betting round:
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If they bet, you always call, having successfully expanded their bluffing range.
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Even a small increase in their bluff frequency improves your long-term profit in this spot.
Example: Hold’em, Checking Behind to Induce
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You have an overpair or strong hidden hand.
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Turn card comes that looks safe for you.
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Opponent checks; instead of betting for protection, you check back:
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This suggests weakness or a marginal hand.
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On the river, the opponent may:
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Bluff with missed draws,
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Or overplay weak made hands.
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You then call (or sometimes raise) and profit from their expanded betting range.
Razz Example: Strong Hand, Passive Line
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In razz, you start with the best possible first four cards.
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Instead of pushing, you check and call:
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You disguise your strength.
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You also let a bluff-prone opponent hang themselves on later streets.
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Inducing here is very similar in spirit to a slowplay: trade some short-term protection for increased future payoff against someone who bets too often.
When Inducing vs Stopping Makes Sense
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Induce bluffs when:
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Opponent already tends to bluff too much.
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You plan to call if they bet.
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Your hand is strong enough that calling is reasonable once you’ve inflated their bluff range.
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Stop bluffs when:
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Opponent bluffs too little or “just enough.”
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You plan to fold if they bet.
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You’d rather face a range that is mostly value so your folds are clean and correct.
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In both cases, your purpose is not to guess perfectly every time, but to shift their bluffing patterns away from the mathematically sound balance that gives them an edge.
Relationship to Other Concepts
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Stopping bluffs is conceptually similar to semi-bluffing or raising for protection: you show strength early to limit cheap or profitable bluffs later.
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Inducing bluffs is closely related to slowplaying: you under-represent your hand to:
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Keep worse hands betting,
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Or entice outright bluffs that you can profitably call.
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Core Takeaways
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Bluffing at roughly the right frequency is powerful; therefore, pushing opponents away from that frequency is a major strategic goal.
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If you induce bluffs, you must call when they bet; otherwise you’ve just helped them steal more.
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If you stop bluffs, you must fold when they bet; otherwise you’ve reduced the number of weaker hands in their range for no gain.
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You can use:
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Artificial tactics (gestures, acting) vs weak/average opponents.
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Strategic adjustments (standing pat, raising, checking behind, etc.) vs better players.
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The end goal is always the same:
Make your opponents’ bluffing habits mathematically bad, and then capitalize on it with disciplined calls or folds.