Bluffing is just believable story-telling, and only works when the person believes, really believes, you have the goods. I make a point of doing at least one bluff in a tournament, without risking my stack.

Sometimes, however, you are pushing one kind of semi-bluff (say a str8 draw) and you are pretty sure that your opponent has two pair going in, and the river delivers on the runner runner flush. This is the perfect place for a flush bluff because people are always willing to cast you in the role of a flush chaser. The bet has to be big and at the upper limit of what the potential caller can afford. All in sends some wrong signals IMHO, to a good player. A good player will fold if he sincerely believes you are trying to extract more of his stack, as opposed to trying to blow him out of the pot.

I just think that a lot of players bluff FAR to often. I have managed to adapt a style of play where I rareley bluff but when i ask my opponents they are convinced that I am bluffing every pot. When I tell them I havn't even been bluffing they don't believe me and I am telling the truth!

I guess I shouldn't say that I don't bluff. I do but more semi-bluffing and position plays than anything. By simply making the correct play in position by raising to take the pot away and betting a mediocre draw with a mediocre pair you create the illusion that you are bluffing constantly and then when you are in a big pot and they think you are bluffing you really have the goods. I think too many players try to bluff that big pot, I use bluffing as a tool more of deception (bluffing in small pots to set up my opponents for a later pot when i do have it) than a way to grow my chipstack.

I guess I do bluff often but my type of bluffing doesn't suit the question well. I guess I am good at bluffing, I just see bluffing opportunities a different way. Not as a way to take away that big pot (your opponent must have something if you are in a big pot!!!), but as a deception tool. You have to find value in the times where you make that continuation bet and have to fold to a re-raise. You might have lost a few chips but rather than call with nothing or re-raise and get called and lose your stack, try folding, and your image has now changed to that of the guy who "try's to bluff." this pays off a ton in the long run.

If you bluff at the small pots and play the big pots with big hands only then you will be paid off by those who think you bluff at everything!

Good thoughts above by flintsword and Powda. In the lower buyins I find that you can get paid off making big bets that look like a bluff when you have the nuts! An all-in overbet can often look like a bluff and induce a call from a player that just refuses to be bluffed.

I still think that you could get away with bluffing in high stakes game and at almost end of the tournament because during these times people get very serious. No one would want to bluff during those times except GUS, that's why he's so good.