What Does This Bet Mean?

I've been thinking it might be a good idea to start a thread in which we discuss common bets and what they mean in certain contexts. It could be added to until we have a fairly comprehensive list of certain moves. If this has already been done, or if it's a retarded idea, let this thread die with dignity and grace. Thank you.

Anyway, I'll start:

One move I've noticed at 50NL is the OOP post-flop minbet.

Example--Someone raises in EP, gets two callers. Flop comes whatever. Original raiser bets $.50 into a $6 pot.

What does this bet mean? I used to be confused by this move and overthought it, thinking it must be some sort of trapping, inducement play. It actually is an inducement bet about 5% of the time. The other 95% it means "I have TPWK/middle pair/underpair, am in bad position, and have no idea what to do, so I think I'll throw out this tiny bet on the offchance that everyone else has nothing and folds. Also, betting feels a little stronger than checking to me."

I read it as "I'm a fish and I want to piss away small amounts of money constantly."

Think about what minbetting with a marginal hand does. Only the weakest hands, the ones that completely missed the board and their draws will fold. Drawing hands get proper odds to call or raise for a cheap semi-bluff. Good hands will of course raise, but minbet screams weakness so much that another marginal hand may raise as well causing you to fold the best hand.

It really doesn't give any more information than checking, but it costs an extra BB every time.


I'm not sure if it's any better to minbet-reraise than to checkraise. Maybe table dependent.


This topic does seem familiar though...
Same Situation?