Quote Originally Posted by martindcx1e
Quote Originally Posted by dev
It works better live, you get more information from the way they react to the bet.

Online, though, I'm finding it to be a big leak.
I think it would be -EV in live games for the same reasons.
You know when you think you are bluffing, however can you really ever know if you are protecting your hand or value betting or if you are even bluffing without complete information. Assume you bet out with King rag and your opponent folds. Is that a bluff? What if your opponent turns over Q rag. Was your bet now protecting your hand?

Betting to see where you are at is betting for information which isn't different from any other type of bet really, much like say a probe bet or betting to get a free card or betting to set up your opponent on the next street. I do think this works better in live games.

I had a recent situation in which I had 7 3 in the BB. I get to see a free flop which comes up 8 7 4. I bet out half the pot. I don't have much, only a very small piece which might just be good enough. This isn't a bluff, so is it a value bet or protection at this point? UTG raises me and it folds back around. My bet to "see where I was at" was answered forcefully. So I look at him and ask, "How far behind am I here? I can't be that far behind on this flop so let's see the turn." I call. The turn pairs the 4 and I say, "It looks like I caught up," and bet the pot. He folded the better hand.

My bet to see where I was at allowed me to bluff the pot away from him on a later street. Additionally this betting pattern allowed me to pick up a number of other pots later in the session as well. Again, I think these probe bets work better when you have a captive audience that has been watching your for the whole evening and you've been able to watch them. It was as much the betting pattern as the verbal jousting that set me up to take the pot down on the turn.