I've been noticing that I'll write two types of punchlines: throwaway "easy" jokes to keep the flow going, and then the big payoff punchlines when I finish a bit. However, surprisingly, sometime the jokes I consider less funny get larger laughs than the ones I put a lot of thought into. It's interesting seeing the difference between your sense of humor and the audience's.

Question is, how often does this happen to you, and how can you garner the reaction you're looking for? I know it mostly depends on the vibe of the room and the delivery of the joke, but there's something else I'm missing. I guess I'm having trouble identifying when I'm funny to others or just funny to myself. I want to reliably get bigger laughs from my writing and not just from my off-the-cuff thoughts.