While there is a place in poker for big bluffs when you hold no hand at all, most expert poker players make sure that their bluffing has a little insurance. The 'Semi-bluff' is a big bet with the worst hand - just like a pure bluff. However, when you semi-bluff you make sure you have 'outs', that is to say cards that can come to give you the best hand.

The most common hand used to semi-bluff in no limit Hold'em poker is a draw to a flush or s straight. The central idea is that your big bet with 4-flush cards will make your opponents fold a good proportion of the time. Those times that your bet is called then you have the possibility to make your flush on the turn and river.

Advantages of the semi-bluff is that you will often have the opportunity to win pots where both the bluffing element and the chance to make your hand would be unprofitable individually.

For example if there were 100 chips in the pot and you bluffed 100 more (all-in) your opponent would need to fold more than half the time to ensure your bet was profitable. If past behavior indicates your opponent would only fold 40% of the time then this bet loses over time. However with a 25% chance of winning the hand when called your bet becomes profitable again. The figures demonstrate this by showing your average gain over 100 hands:

40 Times: Your opponent folds and you win the 100 chips in the pot = +4000 Chips

60 Times: Your opponent calls

- 45 You Lose 100 Chips = -4500 Chips

- 15 You win 200 Chips (by making your hand): = +3000 Chips

This is an average gain of 2500 chips - 25 chips per hand - even though individually both the bluff side of the bet and the 'flush draw' side of the hand would lose, a demonstration of the power of the semi-bluff in Texas Hold'em Poker.

There are many other factors which can affect how successful this poker strategy tip will be. These include your position at the table, number of opponents (and their tendencies), and the exact nature of your drawing hand.