Min betting

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AcesFullOfDonks

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Hey guys, not sure if this has been posted before but I'll post it anyway.
How do you feel about people min betting into the pot? Personally I don't do it as I feel it is a major leak in any player's game. What I have noticed though is that people will still do it regardless.
There are three scenarios where I have noticed it.
1. Min betting into the pot with a weak, made hand, i.e. bottom pair into a high card flop (AQ5 for example).
2. Min betting into the pot with a monster hand or the absolute nuts in the hopes of at least one or numerous calls to increase the pot.
3. Min betting with absolute air in the hopes any small bet will scare away those who have checked.
Has anyone else noticed this trend? I've occasionally found myself raising these min bets only for the player to have a monster hand. Other times I've raised and they've called down to the river with bottom/middle pair or absolutely nothing.
Now obviously if this player is min betting with a monster hand I do not want to be calling and I definitely don't want to be raising.
Has anyone noticed any difference between the three scenarios that would give any clue as to what the player is min betting with? e.g. time taken to bet, double and triple barreled min bets.
Any answers or queries appreciated! Good luck on the tables!
 
NateVest

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This is a good topic. I think personally that min bets are useless and should not be apart of your arsenal if you plan on being a winning player. I am very interested to see the comments this thread attracts. I do see this strategy being used often so I am curious as to how players using it feel like it is a +EV move.
 
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AcesFullOfDonks

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Thanks for your reply, I'm hoping this generates some answers from those on either side of this particular betting pattern. Though I can't imagine anyone who uses this particular strategy uses this forum, but who am I to know?
 
Zorba

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I occasionally do it with bottom or or 2nd pair and I have a player who just likes to call chasing an A and I want to not risk much as I know the villain will call all the way to the river, but he will fold with any bigger bet.

It's not the ideal play to make, but depending on the villain it can be profitable.

:)
 
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AcesFullOfDonks

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What if you get raised? What are you doing in that situation? Surely you've just put an unnecessary bet into the pot which the other player is and probably should be winning.
 
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underdog140

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I sometimes min bet allot preflop. Suited connectors / small pairs / big pairs. I keep the bet the same as to not give away my hand. Makes me look fishy and is more likely I get re-raised when I do have a hand.

From my experience Min beating on the flop / turn is usually a sign of weakness. Unless there is already very little in the pot to begin with. It's usually is a player trying to see the next card for cheap / doesn't want to call a normal bet with his weak pair so min bets almost as a blocker bet hoping that others see it as strength or are confused by it and folds / calls and his missions is accomplished. Wins pot / sees next card for cheap.

It has value when

If you are up against an aggressive player. And you are last to act on the river. You are sure you have the player beat. You know this player is thinking about bluffing at it but checks it to you. Min bet it to give the aggressive player another chance to bluff at it.
 
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AcesFullOfDonks

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If min betting on the flop is used as a 'blocker bet', what's your course of action if you get re-raised at least half the pot? What strength of hands are you calling with?
It's nice to get an insight into the mindset behind this bet, personally I just think it is -EV and unprofitable in the long run.
 
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underdog140

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If min betting on the flop is used as a 'blocker bet', what's your course of action if you get re-raised at least half the pot? What strength of hands are you calling with?
It's nice to get an insight into the mindset behind this bet, personally I just think it is -EV and unprofitable in the long run.


I usually don't min bet the flop, that is how I perceive the bet in most cases.

But If I were to min bet the flop and get re-raised half the pot, it's an easy fold in most cases. And Just look at the lost min bet as a sacrifice that possibly saved me money if I stayed in the hand and decided to bluff at it on a later street. ( Have to find the positive in it somehow ) I would only call if I think the other player is capable of making such a bet because he sees my min bet as weak. In which case I would try and steal the pot later.

There are exception like the River example I gave previously. Or times I just decide to gamble for what ever reason and I make the call.


Edit: Another time to use min bet is if you notice players using the auto fold / check options. ( I always advise against using those for this very reason ) If the player has check / fold and you have nothing a min bet wins you the pot.
 
Zorba

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What if you get raised? What are you doing in that situation? Surely you've just put an unnecessary bet into the pot which the other player is and probably should be winning.

Like I said it depends on the villain, and I was talking about min bets at the start of a tourney, I'm willing to put 60 or 120 over the 3 bets from flop to river if I have a read on a villain, and if reraised I fold if I have rubbish and think he has hit, we all pay for information.


:top:
 
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AcesFullOfDonks

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Do either of you ever use the min bet as a donk bet?
 
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underdog140

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Do either of you ever use the min bet as a donk bet?

A min bet bluff / donk bet gets through sometimes as long as the pot is small when action is being checked down. I very rarely do it and is dependent on the players. I do see it being used. And seen it work. Min bet bluffing in a pot that has any size to it would be like giving out free money. Sure you might get it to work a few miracle times but imo you will end up down from doing it over all.

Since you are interested in the min bet. I encountered it today. There was a min bet raise pre-flop, I called with small suited connectors. Another player also calls. Three to the flop. I miss. Action gets checked. Turn .... Min bet from original raiser .... I fold. It was zoom so I didn't see any action after that. I might have called to see what the other player would have done on the river if it wasn`t for the player to act behind me.

There were others but that is the one I can recall with detail.
 
BiliousBetil

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This is more of a live thing, but regs often attack players making probe or "see where I'm at" bets. So, if one has a nutted hand, a min bet may encourage a reg to make an overbet in a mistaken attempt to punish probe bets.

Cheers!
 
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AcesFullOfDonks

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This is more of a live thing, but regs often attack players making probe or "see where I'm at" bets. So, if one has a nutted hand, a min bet may encourage a reg to make an overbet in a mistaken attempt to punish probe bets.

Cheers!

So you generally don't see this play on the online tables?
 
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dejan85

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I think min bet is bad for siriuus torunament maybe in freeroll,you cn try with some suited cards
 
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stuzie5276

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In certain situations you can min raise.
If the action is folded to you on the button and the blinds are very tight you can steal with min raise.
You can get away only losing 1bb if the sb/bb 3bet.
 
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AcesFullOfDonks

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In certain situations you can min raise.
If the action is folded to you on the button and the blinds are very tight you can steal with min raise.
You can get away only losing 1bb if the sb/bb 3bet.

Thanks for your post; I've seen min raises on the button before which I don't particularly see as a massive issue to play against. This post is more in relation to post flop play. Thanks anyway! :)
 
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44Blackhawk

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I see a min raise post flop as an invitation to push. Or is it bait? I guess it depends on the villan.
 
wildyetty

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ill typically min raise to induce a 3 bet. would only do it if I had a very loose guy to my left where i know he going to raise.
 
arbahool

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sometimes i min bet with monster hands so i could trap somebody if he push 3 bet,otherwise i dont see min bet as usefull thing,you can atract a lot of other hands into a pot and eventually lose with stronger hand than others
 
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Late in tourneys when a whole table ends up 10-20 BB min betting can be good. I also do it in late position with a monster hand (i.e. QQ-AA), and with steals to balance, to try to get the BB to come in. But that's about it. You do need to know who will 3 bet back at you and who won't though.

I know some pros like Mercier like the min bet in tournaments.
 
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AcesFullOfDonks

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Late in tourneys when a whole table ends up 10-20 BB min betting can be good. I also do it in late position with a monster hand (i.e. QQ-AA), and with steals to balance, to try to get the BB to come in. But that's about it. You do need to know who will 3 bet back at you and who won't though.

I know some pros like Mercier like the min bet in tournaments.


I've seen Mercier use the min bet raise PF in tournaments before just before the bubble when everyone is playing like a NIT. Steals a few blinds and antes here and there. Fairly useful until you get caught.
 
makisaa

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Betting depend from the card you have, from the cards on the table and from how do you feel your game that day!
 
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rudi240

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minimum betting

as beginning we should be carefull to bet in poker online, after we sure that they are really fair, we can bet more bigger :)
 
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