Betting actions
Semi-bluff in poker
Definition
A bet or raise with a hand that is not yet best but can improve to a strong hand if called.
A semi-bluff has two ways to win: the opponent folds immediately, or the draw hits later. That makes it much stronger than a pure bluff, and strong draws such as a flush draw or an open-ended straight draw are classic semi-bluff hands.
When a semi-bluff is called you still have outs, so you lose less than with a pure bluff.
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Related terms
- BluffA bet or raise made with a weak hand to make better hands fold.
- Fold equityThe extra value you gain from a bet or raise because your opponent may fold and give up the pot.
- Flush drawFour cards to a flush, needing one more card of the same suit; it has nine outs.
- Open-ended straight draw (OESD)Four consecutive cards that can become a straight with a card on either end; it has eight outs.