Ok Flop strategy?

Ok I am playing 5/10cent no limit over at Royal Vegas on thier dime(10 bucks for free)

And I got up to 22 bucks went down to around 9 and am up to around 12.

So heres what I do sometimes, if I hit an ok hand like suited connectors or something else I call prefolp with around 2 other callers and I miss my flop entirely and it gets checked to me or I am middle I sometimes like to lead out with a 40cent bet into whats usually a 30cent pot. Usually both guys fold but sometimes I get called or raised. When I get called sometimes I will throw money on the turn at it.

Throwing money out like that with a losing hand is my biggest leak, but is the Flop bet a pretty good strategy and just walk away if they raise me?

I don't know if this helps, and I am by no means an expert, but I can tell you what has been working for me. When I am playing my "A" game and making money my table image is extremely tight. I win on average, 2 times more pots without a showdown than I do with. If I get a hand that started good but missed, or I only got a small piece of it, I will *sometimes* push at it to try to get a fold. There are a couple conditions I set for myself first though. First, I will only do this if the people in the pot have a history of folding when I push hard at a pot. Second, I don't do it all the time. I figure it is best for my table image if I let tham have some of the hands I miss on. This seems to reinforce my image at the table so when I do push hard they are more likely to believe I have something and fold out. If they start folding too often I will push on weak hands more often and take down a bunch of small pots until they start calling again, then I tighten back up. I can't afford to buy Poker Tracker atm, so I can't say if that is +EV or not, to settle for those small pots. It feels to me like it is though.

PS If they call and the cards on the table indicate they might be chasing something I will push again on the turn *if* it looks like they missed. Most cases they will fold to me there, if not I am done putting money in at this point.

I think its a leak, theres too many chasers and calling stations at these tables. I also think betting at the flop is a leak. If you didn't raise preflop then don't rep the flop.

Seriously the way to bet these tables is to camp and play aggro with a hand. I mean play pps, AK and AQ. fold all else. When you do get a hand play it aggressivly ie. 5x preflop, 3/4 pot on every street when you think your ahead. fold if you think your behind. Continuation bets work also.

Its cetainly an option that if the flop is checked to you even though you missed you bet out.
the problem here is that
1. you get predictable
2. you bet into slow plays
i wouldnt say it is a leak of you can legitimatly suggest or rep that you have hit the flop, and you can win some pots like this. But i wouldnt do it every time especially when there would appear to be draws on. The tactic is ok if used sensibly, and it shouldnt prove to be a leak imo.

No I dont do it everytime, I do it maybe 30% of the time with 3 guys in it and I act 2nd or last.

Betting a flop you missed can be a good play, especially if you raised preflop. But you need to be smart about it. If there are 3 other opponents, just don't do it. The odds are too high someone hit the flop no matter how ragged it is and the equity you are getting here is from the fold equity ... which you don't have much of.

If you have to bet the pot or more at the table you're playing at to get people to fold junk, then this will not be a profitable play. If you have to risk a dollar to win a dollar, this play has to succeed half the time to break even. Against 2 opponents, one or both of them will hit the flop about half the time, so probably at best you are break even from that point of view. But if you are trying this with junk like suited connectors, odds are someone else is ahead of you even when they missed and will call with overcards/draws that will beat you more often after the flop and you will often lose money because people will call you when they shouldn't at low stakes.

In general, try making this play with half to 3/4 pot bets (the lowest that works at your table), when there are only 1 or 2 others in the pot, and more often when you have raised preflop and when the board is junky. If there are 2 broadway cards on the flop you are throwing your money away.

And of course, if it definitely works at the tables you play, by all means continue what you are doing. But the play of risking 40 cents to gain 30 cents when missing the flop against 2 opponents, I just can't imagine being profitable at any table. You may just be getting lucky (opponents have happened to miss the flop more often when you try this play).

suited connectors are there for flushes or str8s. Limp preflop, fold if u miss

Originally Posted by TLR

suited connectors are there for flushes or str8s. Limp preflop, fold if u miss

So if there are only 2 people in the pot on the flop, and they have been playeing like they are afraid of you, you don't steal a pot every now and again by pushing at the flop missed hand? Personally, in ring games i don't play suited connectors unless they are AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, or KJ.(I play the same starting hands as Aokrongly) Like I said I average about 2 times as many pots won without showdown than with. I don't have eth hard numbers, but I would guess that of those pots I take down without a showdown that maybe 30% are pots I bet at when I missed. If this is a leak in my game I would like to know, but I am really curious what makes it -EV.

"Personally, in ring games i don't play suited connectors unless they are AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, or KJ"

i think you are confused. suited connecters refers to like, 67s, 89s. these aren't exactly referred to as suited connectors (the ones you listed), they're just... like high cards, or good hands, or whatever.

AK is not very well connected... it only makes one straight using both cards... About as well connected at Q8 except at least it's the nut straight when you make it

I know this thread is about the seccond barrel but please let me explain why I think even the first barrel is a leak,

This is the way I see betting into unraise pots at the micros.

Lets say you 2 people limp preflop and you follow them in with position. Big blind checks. Flop comes 3 cards, you miss and it checks around to you. (This is a standard situation for RVP, at a tight table. I've seen 9 people to the flop lots of times on loose tables)

Now, if you are playing with people who have a good idea what they are doing then you might bet half the pot here trying to steal. If the opps have nothing they will fold, otherwise they will call or raise. Note that they are not getting pot odds for OESDs or flush draws.

In the situation we are talking about the pot is $0.40 and you are betting $0.20 into it with 3 people needed to fold. Everytime this play works you get $0.60, every time it doesn't you loose $0.30, (your limp and your 2xbb flop bet). So this play has to work 1 in 3 times to break even. Any more and I shows a profit, any less and its a leak.

So, you've bet your $0.20 and it goes back around to the guy in the big blind and hes thinking ' okay I have an ace, who knows an ace might come up next, meh... its only $0.20 who gives a shit I'll call', second guy folds and the third guy thinks the same thought process as the Big blind with his K8.

While this is happening your sitting there thinking 'WTF, that was a solid half pot bet, these guys must have sets or something'

This is what happens, IMO you wont get near to 1 in 3 successfull steals and therefore this play is a leak.

If you make your flop bet the pot the guys think 'meh... whats $0.40, RVP gave me this $10 for free anyway'. So that doesn't make the situation any better. In fact it makes it worse.

The only time you should pot steal at the micros is with <4 to the flop and you have your opps read as thinking players. You can make moves, just make sure its at the right person. If he called the first bluff/steal then he sure wont fold to the second one. (Unless a scare card hits, like he is chasing a K and the turn is an A).

The seccond barrel is for when you raise preflop (with AK, AQ) and you think, that your opponent is thinking, that you have AK and you continuation betted the flop. Not for the guy who is hoping his ace hits on the river.