Flop texture isn't discussed much, but it's an extremely important topic, especially when you're deciding whether to bluff at a pot. In this column, I'll focus on bluffing at paired flops. When a pair comes out on the flop, you're in good bluffing position. If you actually had what you're representing -- you made a set -- it's likely that your opponent would be drawing dead, or to very few outs.

Let's check out an example. You raise with Q-Q and two players call. Then the flop comes Jd-Js-4c. This is either an excellent flop for your hand, or it's a deathtrap. If you bet, and an opponent raises, you'll be faced with the classic poker question: Does he have the jack, or is he bluffing?

With a strong hand such as pocket queens, you'd normally lean toward calling a raise on the flop and deferring your critical decision until later in the hand.

What about when you don't have a hand that strong?

Say you bet the flop with A-K, and an opponent raises. It would be difficult to justify a call in this situation. If your opponent doesn't think you have the jack, he might try to bluff you with a hand as weak as 8-9. This time, let's put you in charge.

Bluffing from a blind position is an excellent way to pick up some chips. Here's the setting: Two players limp into the pot and you're sitting in the big blind with J-8. The flop comes 3c-3s-5d. Despite the fact that you completely missed this flop, it can be a good opportunity to bluff, as it's also unlikely that either of them stayed in with a three in their hand.

It's important to remember this: To avoid becoming too predictable, you should occasionally bluff from the blind on paired flops, and sometimes bet the flop when you hit your trips. Mixing it up will earn your bets more respect and make it more believable that you could actually have a hand when you do bluff.

Most intermediate to advanced players understand that these bluffing opportunities often turn into a war. It comes down to who is willing to make the bigger bluff.

I recently saw this illustrated in a hand played out on television. Player A raised to 300 with Q-9 and Player B called with 9c-7c. The flop came 10s-10d-5c and Player A bet 600.

Apparently, Player B didn't believe that his opponent held the 10, so he raised it 1,000 more. Player A thought about it for a little while, and finally decided to re-raise another 3,000.

This was an amazing read and a gutsy play. Player A made the bigger bluff, but the funny thing is, had Player B re-raised all-in, he would have won the pot. It was a stellar demonstration of poker at an elite level. Both players fought hard to win a pot with nothing.

Of course, there should have been a warning at the bottom of the TV screen that read, "Do not try this at home!" Unless you have an excellent read of your opponent, these plays are a bit too risky. Here's the bottom line: The key to bluffing at paired flops is making sure that you're mixing up your play. Just don't overdo it. Always keep your opponents guessing. If you fall into any pattern -- bluffing or not -- it won't take long for opponents to pick up on it. When that happens, you lose.
By Daniel Negreanu