I thought I'd try and use my many years of tournament poker experience and put them in the context of Magic: The Gathering. Not an easy task I grant you, but in any game where you use cards, your hand is closed (for the most part) to other players and you have the ability to draw, a few cards in your hand an the right air of confidence can turn the tide of a game.

Most of the time, the winning hand at showdown in Texas Hold'em poker is just that - the winning hand on the table. Play any ring game lower than 1-4-8-8 (This means the maximum bets on any round are $1, $4 then $8 at the end), you will find one of the locals sat with "The Nuts" - a term used to describe the best possible hand availbe given the cards on the table. Move the stakes up a little (or play in a tournament), and having the best hand no longer becomes the sole way of winning.

Bluffing is an art that is learned through experience. I myself am a terrible bluffer, and hence the few times I do attempt to run a bluff, it normally pays off as I have a reputation for having the best hand at the showdown. Consider this precept in Magic - how many times have you been playing someone with blue in their deck who sets aside two untapped islands at the end of their turn, as if to say "Go Ahead, cast that [insert game winning card here]. I got a lovely counter for yah...". Does he/she really have it? Are you willing to risk your great, game-breaking spell to find out?

The art of the bluff pertains to other colors just as easily. Do you really want to draw down to two life with Bargain when you're playing a red player with a hand full of spells? Maybe they used a lot of the direct damage in previous turns, but could they be holding that one Rhystic Lightning, just waiting for you to drop into range?

Calling a bluff can tell you a lot about a player when it comes to poker. There's the set of players who will just throw their cards away and not even hint at their bluff, just giving you the "nod" to let you know you had them beat - then there's the "bluffing bluffers". These players are the ones who will bleat about being outdrawn, trying to cover up their exposed bluff.

Magic has the same segrigation too - every card store has one player who will complain that their draws were just not up to par this game. Maybe they're right, but most of the time their deck wasn't set for yours and they need a little smokescreen while they sideboard in some devistating combo for you next game.

The higher you go in both "sports", the more you will see bluffing. Next time you're playing a PTQ, try and project the image of calm. Practise that poker face and don't grimace the next time someone lays a wrecker. Keep calm, draw your card and nod as if you've just topdecked the answer.

You never know, it might just win the game for you.

Until next time,

Banzi

My blue deck I will make a point of tapping all my land and playing what I can if I have A Force of Will in my hand so people expect it os I will do it whether I have a FoW or not sometimes and I do the leave 2 islands untapped thing a lot

my black/white deck if I have a dark rit in a long drug out game I'll make a point of showing it to my friend if hes there then snickering yet again hoping for the mistake. or recently I had a solring in play against a mono black lich/mirror universe land destruction deck. The guy Jester's capped all the plains and 3 disenchants out of my deck. My general rule is I never play more than 3 of any card. I play 4 disenchants and I usually play roughly 1/3 land he counted 20 plains (including the 4 scrublands. but what he didn't know is I count 2 scrublands as plains and 2 as swamps when I figure it out. I had a plains and disenchant in my hand thinking hes safe he plays the lich my turn I drop the plains tap it and the sol ring disenchant the lich take 1 mana burn and win the tournament.

So yes bluffing is as much a part of magic as in any game but its hard to tell a bluff from a kid who likes to brag sometimes so it doesn't always work