Quote Originally Posted by Bawookles
Hey, everybody!
I've been playing the $1-2 limit tables on Full Tilt and I've found my variance decreases significantly if I just don't bother bluffing. It seems at small stakes hold 'em there are way too many call stations and fishes to make bluffing even worth it.

Don't get me wrong, I'll "semi-bluff" by raising my big drawing hands like flush and straight draws but to just all-out bluff at a flop when I just have one overcard (or none) against one or two other players just doesn't seem worth it in small stakes hold 'em, people will call you with bottom pair all the way to the river.

Do you think I'm right on this or do you think there's still a place for all out bluffing on every street in small stakes limit?
Funny--I was thinking yesterday of posting on exactly this topic. My experience bluffing in 10,000+at the $1/2 tables at PartyPoker sounds a lot like yours at FullTilt. Many bluffs I expect to work simply don't. People call down with nothing or next to nothing. Genius that I am, it only took me a mere 8000 hands or so to notice this tendency and develop a counter to it. I'll still bluff now, but typically only in very specific situations against opponents who have demonstrated the ability to fold. And on the other hand, generally and simply value betting becomes the most +EV approach I can take. btw, PokerTracker was a big help with this. I review every session, and I noticed a lot of my larger losses on given hands (2bb-4bb) came from failed bluffs. Giving up those bluff attempts, and also learning to fold many hands making a pair or less to raises and especially check raises on the turn, has saved me a small fortune.

In other words, I think you're right. Generally, bluff only in very specific situations (such as those smartly noted by other posters) against specific opponents--otherwise, value bet. It's not as interesting as we'd like it to be, but it does seem to get the money. Last thing--I've noticed solid players will often take a shot on the flop with nothing v. one or two opponents, and if anyone calls, they're ready to give it up--they often don't keep pushing it on the turn and river.