What does "defining your opponent's hand" mean?

Hi all. I was reading a post in this forum about how to play at micro-limits and came accross the following :

1. Be aggressive - but make sure you understand the term. Aggression used properly involves making big enough bets to force out drawing hands and define your opponent's hands. It does NOT mean overbetting or trying to bully people out of pots when you don't have any justification for doing so, and it does NOT mean bluffing (except in specific pre-definied situations, most of which don't exist at microstakes).

I think I understand what it means to bet big enough to force out drawing hands. Say that on the turn, for example, I have the best hand and put my opponent on a flush draw. Since the odds of his completing his flush on the turn is about 1:4, I'd want to bet enough so that the pot odds are not as good -- e.g. a 1/2 pot to a pot-size bet giving him only 1:3 to 1:2 pot odds. He would then make a mistake to call assuming I would not pay him off if he completes his flush on the river. Correct?

Now I have heard the expression "defining your opponent's hand" thrown around and I dont understand what it means. How does the size of my bet define my opponent;s hand? I hope someone can explain it to me, with an example if possible.

Suppose you raise pre-flop with TT and position after a limper, everyone folds except the limper who calls.

So what do you put him on? pp, sc, maybe weak Ax, 2 broadways

Rag flop, it's checked to you

1) You bet 1/2 the pot, limper raises. Does he have the set? Or does he just think you are full of shit and are trying to take down the pot?

2) You bet full pot, limper raises. All of the sudden this looks a lot more like a set.

Definition

Two things....

1. Micro limit players will pay the max for draws, so you charge them max for drawing. None of this 1/2 to 3/4 pot garbage. Pot that shit! The advice really assumes at least an average opponent.

2. Defining an opponents hand only applies to opponents who play reasonably and are known. I'll give you an example. I got into trouble at my last live tourney, because I failed to define the opponents hand....

I had KQo in LP with 2 limpers in front. It was the very first hand of the tourney, so no need to raise here. The flop comes 3K9 rainbow. As last act when everyone checked to me I naturally bet 200 into the 300 pot. The SB called. The SB is a known tight solid player. Almost nitty in fact. Easy to push off. The turn brings a Q for 3K9Q. He checks and I bet 350. He raises me to 700. Now let's define the opponents hand...

1. I know he's a tight nitty player. He's generally cautious of any coordination without a made hand. The board very easily throws him passive.

2. He didn't raise preflop, but his EP raising range is tight for sure. This does however exclude KK and QQ. Throw them out.

3. He's too tight to call the flop with TJ OOP. Throw the nut straight out. Also exclude Q9 and Q3 for the same reason.

4. If he has K3 or K9, he's cautious of the nut straight, better two pair, set etc, so doesn't check raise the turn, instead calling.

5. His hand is either 99 or 33. Call, and fold a non Q or K river.

Originally Posted by Rondavu

Two things....
I had KQo in LP with 2 limpers in front. It was the very first hand of the tourney, so no need to raise here. The flop comes 3K9 rainbow. As last act when everyone checked to me I naturally bet 200 into the 300 pot. The SB called. The SB is a known tight solid player. Almost nitty in fact. Easy to push off. The turn brings a Q for 3K9Q. He checks and I bet 350. He raises me to 700. Now let's define the opponents hand...

1. I know he's a tight nitty player. He's generally cautious of any coordination without a made hand. The board very easily throws him passive.

2. He didn't raise preflop, but his EP raising range is tight for sure. This does however exclude KK and QQ. Throw them out.

3. He's too tight to call the flop with TJ OOP. Throw the nut straight out. Also exclude Q9 and Q3 for the same reason.

4. If he has K3 or K9, he's cautious of the nut straight, better two pair, set etc, so doesn't check raise the turn, instead calling.

5. His hand is either 99 or 33. Call, and fold a non Q or K river.

Negreanu, is that you??? LOL

Good reading skillz-

the check /call flop, check/raise turn is also a routine set line.