One of the oldest rules in the book about low-stakes poker is to never bluff the fish. (“Recreational players” is the more polite term we use for them these days.) However, never is a strong word.
Should you try big bluffs against these types of players? If you like money, then I would caution you against it. However, if you have never bluffed the fish, then you would be missing out on a lot of potentially profitable situations.
We all know that among this group of players, the preferred play to make is to call bets. However, their actions throughout the hand often give away clear signs of the strength of their hand. Once you learn to identify these actions, it becomes easy to win pots when it is obvious that they have nothing to call your bets with.
The Donk Bet on the Flop
One thing that sets recreational players apart is their habit of limping into pots with a wide range of hands. This is why I recommend raising them (isolating them), especially in position with an equally wide range of hands.
We do this because we know that most of the time they won't hit the flop very often. They won't bet and we can take down the pot with one bet. This is a standard play and I don't really consider it a bluff.
However, not all recreational players will fold so easily. Many of them are fond of donk betting by betting before, not giving you the chance to make a continuation bet. This bet will usually be a paltry amount, which makes it mathematically correct for you to call the bet with literally any two cards. I’m talking about bet sizes up to somewhere around 25% of the pot.
What do you do in these situations? Some people get upset about it, I just see free money.
Most of the time when bad players make these types of bets they have little to no value. They usually have a weak pair or some kind of draw (flushdraw, straight draw) at most. You can often take down the pot with a simple raise.
This is why I recommend raising against donk bets with a large combination of hands. You should raise whenever you have hit the flop in some way. For example, whenever you hit a pair or any other type of draw, you should raise. I would also recommend raising frequently with lots of worthless hands that have two overcards, such as A-high and K-high.
You shouldn't even think of this as a bluff. In fact, if they make the minimum bet (a big blind) as you'll see happen sometimes online, I would recommend just ignoring it completely. It's a completely meaningless bet. Pretend it doesn't exist and just make your standard c-bet.
Bluffing the Recreational Player on the Turn and River
You'll also get paid sometimes, obviously. What should you do next?
Well, it's important to remember that most of the time they're just holding a weak pair or a weak draw. That's to be expected. After all, calling stations like to call. That doesn't mean we can't still win the pot.
If the weak draw fails on the turn and/or a dangerous card comes, you could try to donk bet again when he checks. If he does donk bet you again, then it is likely that they have some sort of pair that they are looking to get to showdown and I would advise against trying to bluff them again. You should only call the bet if you have some sort of equity.
If the action is check/check on the turn and all the obvious draws fail on the river, they will often try to donk bet you as a bluff. This is an opportunity to try to win the pot again. I would recommend raising this bet if you have no showdown value (a no pair hand).
It will often be the case that they will have a no-pair hand with a missed draw. Even if they bet with a weak pair, often your raise will be enough to make them fold. Winning this pot without having a value hand is a big win for us.
Don't Hit the Aquarium Too Many Times
The most important thing to remember with all this talk of bluffing the recreational player is that you shouldn't try this too often. I would strongly recommend only trying a double-raise bluff play early on, when you don't have a history with this player yet.
If you keep trying to bluff them too often, they will quickly start calling your bets with weak hands, such as small pair, A-high, or even K-high. When playing against recreational players, it is very important to know exactly what kind of dynamic exists between the two of you.
In short, you should be aware of your recent history with this player. Recreational players love pay without having a very good hand and will often label you a maniac if they think you bluffed them even once.
That's why it's important to adjust and make sure you have a good hand next time. And by having a good hand I don't mean you should have the nuts. That's the mistake people make the most. Now is the time to go for even low-value hands.
If you have planted those seeds of doubt in their minds by taking them out of one or two pots, then go for it with middle pair or even bottom pair next time. You can do this by calling their bet on the river or by betting when they check to you. Just make sure you avoid trying to bluff them again if you have a hand without any kind of value. They will call your bets with everything anyway.
Final Considerations
The old belief that you should never bluff recreational players still holds true. At the end of the day, these players don’t change. They play poker for fun and don’t think about the game on a deeper level.
It’s also important to remember that they enjoy making hero calls. This is what is often glorified in Hollywood depictions of the game and in big poker tournaments shown on TV. There is no greater satisfaction for them in the game than catching someone trying a big bluff.
However, this doesn't mean that we can't get some small bluffs in, especially early on when we're likely to get more credit for them. You should raise your donk bets often, for example, as they often indicate a weak hand. And you can try again on the turn or river as well, depending on the hand action and the board texture.
However, it is important not to get used to these situations. You can only beat the fish tank so many times. Once you have managed to bluff them once or twice, you should expect very little respect in subsequent hands.
You should certainly continue to isolate them frequently preflop and then c-bet on the flop. However, make sure you have some sort of reasonable hand or some decent draw when you get involved on later streets.
Translated and adapted from: Should you Bluff the Recreational Players? Yes and No!
English 
Português do Brasil 
Español 