What most people call the cold bluff is actually known as the donkey bluff to pro poker players. That’s because a bluff involving a player who puts most, if not all, of their chips into the pot without any thoughts on the board, their opponents, or their own image is a straight-up donkey move.
A lot of times players can get away with this move in No-Limit Hold’em because experienced players aren’t willing to risk a substantial amount of their stack to call. And this reigns true even if the experienced player has a good idea that the person is pulling a donkey bluff. However, you’ll be hard-pressed to get away with cold bluffing in Limit Hold’em games.
That’s because players are far more willing to call a player who is making a $20 bluff in a $10/$20 limit game since the risk is much less in this situation. If a person is wrong on their hunch then it won’t cost them their entire stack whereas being wrong about the same bluff in a no-limit game could.
This is why it’s so important to avoid donkey bluffs in Limit Hold’em because you’re going to get called on them plenty of times which makes them extremely unprofitable. For instance, say you’re sitting with K-Q on a board of 4-6-2 rainbow. Unless your opponent has reason to think you’d make a call with a small pocket pair, this board doesn’t present a good bluff opportunity.
So, in this situation, making a big raise would be a donkey bluff – especially if your image is that of a tight player. If you want to make bluffs like these then you’ll need to represent yourself as somebody who is willing to play small pocket pairs. Otherwise, you’re just falling into the trap of making another donkey bluff.
