What to bet

[Waggho]

I wonder if someone has any general guideline of how much to bet in different situations with respect to the pot. When to bet minimum, quarter pot, half pot, pot size and so on. The situations I´m talking about are for example:

On the flop
- TPTK with dangerous board (possible drawing hands)
- TPTK without dangerous board
- TP w medium/low kicker with/without dangerous board and so on
- set
- trips with pair on the board
etc.

also of course considering position.

Of course there are lots of possible situations, but if you could just give me some guidelines I would be happy. My biggest wonder is (as you can see) about flopping Top Pair.

Thankful for advice,
W.

[dalecooper]

I won't go into great detail but the bottom line is A. maximize profits when you have a monster that is virtually unbeatable; B. make 'em pay to draw, particularly when your own hand is vulnerable.

If you think you have the probable best hand on the flop (top pair top kicker against a dangerous or non-dangerous board), but not a true monster (flush or better), you should bet around the size of the pot to discourage drawing hands from staying in. If they stay in, they pay bad pot odds to do it. Top pair top kicker is usually the best hand at the flop, but obviously you need to watch out for things like three of the same suit, three to a straight, a pair on the board, etc. Any of those things, you might consider the possibility that you are already beat, and be ready to cut your losses. Not saying that you don't still take a stab at it - and if you do, it should be a confident stab, close to the amount of your usual flop bet - but basically you say to yourself, this is it. I'm only spending this one bet on this hand, and if someone comes back at me aggressively I'm cutting it loose.

I treat top pair/OK kicker the same way as what I just described with TPTK against a very dangerous board. One bet that sums all the money I'm willing to put into a pretty weak hand. If someone comes over the top of me, I let it go right there. It's nice to take down the pot with this bet but basically it's a feeler - will I get called, raised, or what? It tells you if your top pair/weak kicker is good. The only thing here is to make sure your feeler bets like this aren't too obviously different from your strong bets, as with top pair top kicker. It's psychologically different for you, but to your opponent it should look about the same - close to the size of the pot, a confident bet representing a pretty good hand. If you're not willing to do that, you may as well check-fold.

Slowplaying is only a good idea if you are 95% certain of still having the best hand after the turn and river, and if you think you can make more money on it by letting your opponents catch up a bit. Flop the nut flush, nut full house - that can be slowplayed. The nut straight on a rainbow board can probably be slowplayed. Any hand that you even begin to suspect could be vulnerable, you put the hammer down and start betting pot-sized.

Maybe it's a side effect of playing a lot of pot limit online, but I like pot-sized bets. They announce what you are representing quite clearly. I will mix it up at times depending on the situation, but a pot-sized bet is your friend when you think you may have the best hand, and want to discourage weaker hands from staying in (or want to find out if anyone has something better). If you're pretty sure someone has something better and will raise you, why bet at all? Check-fold.

[SteveO]

Like everything else, it depends. There are 5 major factors.

1. How many opponents are still in the hand on the flop?
2. What was the pre-flop action?
3. What is your position?
4. What type of opponents are still in the hand?
5. What's on the board?

It is very difficult to make a guide for this as it is the most common situation in poker next to folding pre-flop. The value of TPGK goes down the more people that are in the hand. In any case, if you have TPGK and are up front, you want to bet pot are half pot whether there are draws or not. If you are reraised or get a couple smooth callers you may want to slow down or get rid of it if you don't improve or one of the draws hits. If there are 4 or more players to the flop and you are up front you have to bet aggressively to "find out where you're at."

What was pre-flop action? If there is a lot of raising and re-raising preflop and there are only 2-3 opponents be careful. Eg. you are in SB with AKs and there is a raise from UTG and a call from late position and you call or reraise from SB and flop comes AQblank. You bet out pot and are re-raised or opponent pushes AI. FOLD. It screams set or 2 pair and pre-flop action says one of your opponents may have AA QQ or AQ.

Similarly you have A10 and there is heavy pre-flop raising but you decide to make a loose call. You hit your 10 and there are no overcards on the board. You bet and are re-raised. Reraise back or fold because you want to find out if you are up aggainst an overpair or someone getting cute with 2 overcards. If they had a medium pair, they will lay it down if they have any sense.

Position is key. Like I said above, I always bet up front if I hit the board. It sets up bluffs later, especially if you were pre-flop raiser. If you are in late position and there are a bunch of checks or limpers who call a minimum bet, raise it up to pot bet or overbet. Don't let them see a free card you have TPGK. However, beware of the check-raise. Most players will not check-raise a pot sized bet without a hand that will crush TPGK.

On the other hand, you hit TPTK in late position and it goes nuclear in front of you with a raise and several overcalls or a reraise, you may want to seriously consider folding.


What type of opponents? If it is you are up against mister tight and he is blasting into you fold. If you are up against mister loose that plays any A punish him.

What is on the board? You already know not to give free cards with draws on the board. This is the situation to overbet the pot or at least pot size bet. If opponents want to chase let them but don't let them do it cheaply.

Overall, you are always betting pot or 1/2 pot when you catch a good piece of the flop and overbet if there are draws. I even bet this way with medium pair on a non-threatening board. This will set up semi-bluffs in the future when you are on the draw later. It will also get you calls when you have the set.

The set is the easiest play. If there are draws out there you have to overbet with several opponents. Better to win a small pot than lose a big one. Otherwise, play your set like you do with TP. Pull along the competition, reraise, slowplay, whatever you want. However, you want to play the set like you do when you have TPTK because you will get more respect later when you make the same bets with a lesser hand.



Other than that, give some specific examples and we can comment.

[whileone]

<chef-voice>seventeen.</chef-voice>

1. How many opponents are still in the hand on the flop?
2. What was the pre-flop action?
3. What is your position?
4. What type of opponents are still in the hand?
5. What's on the board?

<chef-voice>nope dosn't matter, seventeen.</chef-voice>

Actually, you might get a copy of "small stakes holdem" from 2+2, there is an excellent section on how different hands play with different boards.

[Sed]

well put, Dale...

In late position with an innocuous board and TPTK, I will come over the top of weak bets with a pot sized bet. If you get re-raised watch out for trips/2pr. Usually you'll get a fold though. A call is usually 2nd pair or TP bad kicker hoping to improve.

Also watch out for when there are multiple opponents in the hand, TPTK isn't that great with 4 others in the pot.

- sed

[Waggho]

Thanks alot for all the answers. I appreciate it.