Should I Bet? Why or Why Not?

I'm sure something similar has happened to us all...but as you identified, you have to play your cards, your opponents cards, and your image. Betting out simply to entertain the aggressive player image is nothing short of stupid, especially when you describe your table as what I identify as the average call station. The first bet out...well with five other people, you're probably not getting everyone out, so I'd sit tight. But you bet, oh well. The second bet has no excuse: they're already coming along for the ride, and an overcard hits (chances are, someone was looking for it.) Why bet? You should control your image, not the other way around, and one simple check isn't going to ruin your aggressive player image. The only thing that ruins that sort of image is obvious bluffing over and over, which is exactly what these bets are showing.

Totally thought there was going to be a link to Sit-N-Go Genius or something at the end of that.

Wally you make a lot of cryptic threads don't you?

It's been said if you don't know whether to bet or not, then you should probably bet. It's really a poker decision for you to make based on the situation you find yourself in. A bet serves multiple purposes.

1. Get information. Ex: I bet half the pot. Who's still interested in this one? If I get a raise, it's because the person is made and scared of getting sucked out on, or thinks their best and wants to find out/get paid, or they think I'm weak and want to win the pot.

2. I'm made and don't want to get sucked out on. I have KTo (no clubs), flop comes QJ9, 2 clubs. I'm betting here. Yep, it's happening. And if I get raised I'm reraising. It's happening. (Actual hand from last night, two runners to the straight came, but no flush. Yippee!)

3. I think a bet will win. I sense weakness at the table. I need to watch out for a raise (particularly a check/raise), and if I get called I might want to know how many outs I have, in case I'm drawing. If I get raised I might want to consider how many of my outs are dead.

4. I bet because I'm weak. This is bundled into part 1. I flop second pair top kicker. Not likely to win, right? Well, not if I go to showdown without improving. So why go to showdown?

I like betting.

+2

Hah ah ha ha hah, nice pic Sean.

I've been harping on this in a few diff threads, and you come across as a sharp thinker, so I'll harp on it again - I'm betting in that spot not for protection against a suck out, but to charge a worse hand to see the turn. In other words, it's a value bet, a bet that I'm hoping a worse hand will call.

Sometimes, of course, the pot is so big that we overbet to shut out the draw - I'm talking about a medium to small pot.

I think from a tilt standpoint it's important to think of it that way. If a flush does hit, we made the correct play and Villain made an incorrect play, we were unlucky/he got lucky. If I think of it as protection (which is a side benefit of charging the worse hand too much to continue w a draw, not the primary reason to bet there), I start cursing the poker gods/the cat/anyone who comes near me when the flush completes.

As long as you bet enough so he pays too much to call w a fd, it makes no difference in the end from an equity standpoint or from a win/loss standpoint whether the bet was for protection or for value - but I find the distinction important for tilt control.

In the scenario u described, the flop bet wasn't big enuf, obviously, or you are playing at tables full of chasing fish.

The flop bet here should indicate an overpair, or a fit with those low flop cards, and you want to make it expensive to chase. The profit from betting here, and taking the pot without any more contention is measurable. But u got called, which should send alarm bells. U don't describe how the low card flop might fit with your 3's, which might determine how many valid outs you have, but for the most part you only have 2. @ outs in my book would normal mean I got exactly one shot at stealing the pot.

Once the A shows on the turn, you really have to shut it down.

But I like betting those threes on the flop.

As described, betting the flop seems reasonable.

After that, it just sounds like a inexperienced player who just got done reading the chapter about being aggressive.

Ah. I've been playing with weak players and it has effected my thought process. Indeed, you're charging to see the turn, of course. A problem I run into (and it's definitely a personal fault of mine), is I get stuck paying people off when they get made. Not so much with straights. But two pair, TpTk, etc. I'll know I'm best, the scare card comes out, and I'm sad. The villian bets for value and I have to consider paying him off or he's being coy.

Luckily for me, the lack of skill thing kicks in and I dump my hand, even for a donk min bet. Unless I have outs.

And thanks for the compliment, I like this forum because I think I can take a lot away from it, but I'd like to contribute to, and evolve.