Your Bluff Is Only as Good as Your Opponent

  While Joe Montana from the San Francisco 49ers would have made a great poker player - he seems like the type who could put other people on a hand with ease - Ronnie Lott is completely different. Instead of poker, he would have made a great demolition derby driver. We have repeated an observation that was made about Mr. Lott several years ago. It was referenced by a reporter whose name is now lost to history, "If he doesn't care about his own body, what do you think he is going to do to yours". This is not the sort of person you are going to scare off with a bluff.  Think about who you are bluffing against before you even start your deceptions. If you are facing a maniac player like Ronnie Lott, presenting strength will not only have almost no effect on him, but it will probably wet his competitive appetite and inspire him to be more aggressive. This is the type of player you draw into traps, not scare away.  When you have a good hand, show strength at first, and then fade away towards the end. Pre and post flop aggression will tweak the maniac's competitive side and get him to chase. Limping in to the turn and river will inspire them to try to knock you out before a showdown with debilitating bets. In the end there is a huge pot and you are hopefully sitting on the best hand.