Pot Control is the process of limiting the number of bets in the pot.

If you have not yet read Day 16 and watched the video for Day 16 - take a few minutes now to do that and then come back here to discuss it:

Pot Control

We learned what it means to plan a hand and decide in advance the number of bets you are willing to make. We also learned about controlling the size of the pot.

Let's talk about pot control and hand planning. Collin and Katie will be happy to answer your questions in this thread!

I watched the video yesterday and waited until today's online (free roll) poker activities were done to post observations/applications to this topic.
Yesterday I tried for a Sunday Million ticket in two different satellites and was bubble boy on my second try..which I considered as a small success. These games are piranha frenzies (PStars makes $$ from them also) where you have little time to wait for a good hand so you need to work with what you have and try to be among the smartest in choosing which other piranha to bite and how hard. Luck is definitely a bigger factor in these games so you need to establish as quickly as possible who has the widest card range and their betting correlation (not necessarily optimally related) to snag their chips AND to drag the big stacks into chewing into each other while making a quick exit. The more players eaten and rendered powerless while I provoke, instigate and attack elsewhere the better.

Today I was in some bigger free rolls, $25k, 2x$10k as well as other games including the always anticipated CC free rolls. Regarding the screen shots, the AA was played with a 1k raise and I had 2 callers - this was a protection/invitation raise. I've included my placement and the payout structure so you could see that I had my eye on the prize. I then went all-in post flop anticipating someone should have hit a pair (yes indeed). Unfortunately, my AA was cracked but I was able to survive (which is why I went all-in)..until..and this is the reason why AQ creates some of my largest losses...there is so much at stake and so much hope...like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football that Lucy has "set-up" for him.

The final screenshot is of a button play meant to steal the blinds at bubble time. Though not included, I also made the cash in the $10k "Neptune" free roll.

Final thoughts, these Poker Stars satellites probably do not attract seasoned players who will look to maintain their advantage in slower and larger field games so if there is a way to control the pot in jam and fold sessions and assess what cards to play.. knowing that if you wait your stack will be stolen by others and eroded by blinds and that if you play junk you will get wiped out...then I am sincerely interested. Regarding the larger 888 free rolls I was playing them blind since I didn't have notes on very many..there were a few CC players in the mix. The $25k was invitation only and one of the $10k was for players with 100+ levels capped at 5000 players. At the very least, experienced players populated these games (yours truly was outclassed here) so I applied more checking and less baiting and simply tried to eliminate mistakes by folding JJ, AJ, duckies (22,33...) instead of trying to build traps and such which relates directly to hand planning.


One thing I would like to add is that I assumed that the better players in these games would have at least a solid appreciation of "ICM" plays..if I had a suspicion that someone was playing this way I would to try to anticipate certain plays by certain players. Further, when I'm bluffed and the person advertises their cards..I like that.. . This puts a spotlight on my card handling/bet sizing and sensitizes me to board textures that I could also possibly exploit.

Planning my hand is something I instinctively have done ever since I started palying poker. Feels really good when it pans out, but most of the time "when man plans, the gods are laughing"...

That's super impressive that you were planning your hands since you began playing! For me the firsts "plans" I had seemed to always be to attempt massive (and often ill-advised) bluffs

I've tried planning my hand (as I think you've mentioned it in passing elsewhere) as well as putting everything I'm learning into practice, but I'm starting to struggle. For me, it seems like it never (well, rarely) works like it does in your videos.

Maybe it's because it's mostly freerolls and ultra micro-stakes, but I can almost never isolate one or even two opponents when playing my premiums so end up facing like 4-6 opponents who all call the raise or one re-raises to allin and a couple follow so no chance of my AK, high pairs, suited broadways - anything - standing up against one or two opponents.

It seems like I follow all the guides, wait for the right cards in the right spots, play them the way I've been taught (or try to anyway, obviously I may make the odd mistake - I'm still a student after all, but I try to think it all through). Then I find myself facing half the field with a huge pot and I face the choice of either folding to save my place in the tourney and wait for a better opportunity, or calling and facing a rag flop and at least one of the other fish hitting it, more or less putting me out of the tourney or leaving me low on chips.

Another scenario that keeps happening is I try to keep in mind the advice you both give such the comment in this video "Often enough everything will go right" - well it doesn't! Not in the games I'm playing. In your videos they all play the right sort of raises, there's always only one or two in the hand - my tables rarely look like this - at least not unless I can survive until the very late stages.

I will have Top 2 pair, for example, and even if I am lucky enough to be up against one opponent, I know I should bet for value as the board is fairly dry; my opponent shows weakness all the way through. I think to myself "Collin says it's unlikely they will have xxx because..." then BAM, that's exactly what they have i.e. there is a 3 on the board and they have two three's to take down my AK or KQ 2 pr, or whatever. I had an A high flush yesterday, and although there was a pair of 6's on board, how likely was it that the one person who stayed in the hand preflop had that (I think they raised themselves allin and I covered them and they bet/raised everything anyway)? - but even if they did I beat their set! Or did I? Nope, they just happened to have a pocket pair of 6's for 4-of-a-kind!

Yes, I know this happens, but what I'm saying is, that since I've been trying to 'play properly' and according to the rules as best I can, I seem to be losing more. Is this normal? Am I thinking too much?

I watch hand after hand that I throw become winners that never were, so to speak (no wonder people call everything), then I see my A8o in EP and think, no! Too early, not good enough. And I throw it. Then when half the table have thrown all their chips in the middle the board comes something like 84AT8 !!??? Then I get my KQs in the CO and raise; then the Button reraises, SB 4Bets, BBgoes allin, an early limper calls and off we go, half the table have all their chips in - and sure enough, if I call there is nothing remotely like my hand on the board and if I fold sometimes there is and sometimes there isn't.

It's driving me crazy and I'm losing the bankroll I had managed to build.

Sorry for the rant, but I really am wondering if it works with Freerolls and Ultra Micros - am I wasting my time there with things like position and bet-sizing? Should I be playing something else? Should I be thinking differently?

I like tournaments, but don't have an independent income so was trying to build the bankroll generically through the FRs and micros and don't have enough to play even things like $1 tournament (although occasionally I do play the odd $1 or $3 but not regularly) as I don't have the bankroll yet if variance suggest 300x buy-in. (I have less than $100, well even less than that now, probably around $60).

Overall, I suppose, I'm wondering if it's normal when you are learning these skills for your performance to take a dip or is it just a coincidence that normal downturn in variance happens to coincide with my improving knowledge (and hopefully skills)? Or is it different at these micro, micro levels?

Now here's where I'm feeling a bit low about it - I was regularly In The Money previously and building a decent bankroll. Now? Well, it's disappearing and overall my tournament standing is slipping big time.

Can you advise, please?

Just had a thought: I wonder if it's the Coronavirus? I noticed a few posts around the web saying how poker site traffic is up lately, maybe all the really loose, new, inexperienced or just plain bored people stuck indoors are coming back in huge numbers and changing things a little. Maybe it's time to tighten up a bit more and let them do all their mad stuff and just sit tight and wait? Too many loose aggressive whales at the table don't make for good poker, more like Friday night Bingo!

That’s a very interesting theory that makes a lot of sense to me!

Believe me, I know how frustrating it can be to run bad—I’ve def been there and I’m sorry that this is happening to you. The best thing to keep in mind is that players playing poorly will massively benefit you in the long run, even though it can hurt a lot in the short term. We want to be the best player at every table we sit down at, and for that to be true those around you must be making visible mistakes. The more mistakes you see, the better the job you’ve done at choosing the game you’re in

One thing that helps me be less results-oriented is to try to avoid watching the run outs. I’ve found that very little good can come of it, and if I get sucked out on then that can put me in a negative mindset where I’m unlikely to still be playing my A-game. Poker should def be fun and if you’re not having fun then I’d suggest a little break.

Your plan sounds like a good one, and I hope your luck turns around soon

Yes, the negative mindset can be a problem; but I try to use mind calming stuff (got a lovely snow-globe with white wolf lying calmly inside that helps). And, while my mind for a few moments goes crazy and wants to scream at everyone for going nuts and spoiling my 'training sessions' (& fun) and that little voice says - "what's the point? No-one is paying attention, everyone is just playing any old thing AND WINNING! AND... my junk that I throw is winning, I may as well join in!" - is drowned out when I get up and put the kettle on, shake my globe and say out loud "No. Keep playing the best you can.... Don't get scared of that raise...Don't call that hand....etc. Keep at it - you're better than them, just keep getting better and keep learning and it'll all work out. At least my bank roll is going down slowly rather than quickly. That's what it's there for - variance!"

So, despite my low spirits and many frustrations, I am just about managing to push through it. The rant helped, but mostly, I just wondered why the action at my tables never seemed to look like the ones in the videos! Haha.

Anyway, played the CC FR tonight, at least the standard there was better but still wasn't getting much luck and found myself facing the exact one thing I didn't need - or drawing waaay dead. Still, it was a much better and far less frustrating game - so thank you CC buddies for helping restore some of my sanity and reminding me that it is still possible to play a decent game of poker even if you are on a bit of a downswing

Thanks for listening and thanks for your words of support and encouragement - it is greatly appreciated.

I honestly think that this chapter was the best for me because I always had to "improvise" when something I hadn't planned on happened on the table and that frustrated me. How can I not play my AKs against a possible bluff as a queen or jack appeared on the table on the flop?

If you are already predetermined to play you are more relaxed with the hand because if you suffer a raise, well I knew that this could happen then from this space forward it is call, fold or all in according to the profile of the villain.

I know this seems very obvious, but controlling the pots is really KEY. After I saw these chapters, there were several twists in the game, something that didn't happen due to my morale dropping after a lost play and the question of whether it should be different consumed me.

We will continue the course, now more consistently.

I loved this lesson too. It is something I learned early on but this served as a good refresher and reminder.

Finished Day #16.

Answer to today's quiz:

I have TPTK on a 2-flush flop and we are 5-way, I would make a 2/3-3/4 cbet on the flop hoping to get heads-up to the turn. In the case of a blank turn or a diamond card I would make another bet, and if get called again, I would check behind the river. So two bets for me, but it depends on how many players will continue, what cards will come, etc.

Tomorrow with Day #17.

This was another lesson I really liked. A lot of it is fundamental, but still VERY important to have down well. I think the thing that surprises me the most is how I can already sense improvement in my poker (or at least based on my answers and thought process in the videos) and this is only about halfway through the course

Thanks Phoenix, Debi, and Jean-Pierre! I definitely agree on how important pot control is, a really great no-limit skill I first learned about in Ed Miller's books.

Another very important topic covered in this chapter. Very often without plan you can take too long to play and give off tells. Of course, it can very well be your intention to slow roll villain. However, you generally want to appear confident with you movement and actions.

Response to video question:

I would like to get two bets in holding top pair and kicker. One on the flop and again on the turn if there is no heart, in an effort to charge for draws. Then I may check the river hoping to catch any bluffs.

Hope the dealer is nice to me

Man by nature is trying to control everything in his life, but everything turns out and therefore we are more prepared for defeat if we have a plan of action. And in poker it is very important to control the situation in the distribution and it is also important to have a plan of action on the opponent’s countermeasures to take control of the situation. When it is easier to throw cards in the pass when you foresee such an outcome in the situation and save money.

Pot control is very important, because it will decide how much do you win or louse in poker, for this you have to know the streng off your hand to decide how manny streets would you bet or call,and you have to know iff u have a value hand or a showdonw hand(this can change at any street and because off this u have to know wich cards will make your value hands become in a showdonw hand). Knowing all off this you can plan the number off bets you can do during a hand and wether to play it,iff it is beatter to check/call or bet.

So would it be right to define pot control as a course of action where a hero has only a semi-good hand or worse, and the point of pot control is to limit hero's possible losses? So in a sense it is an opposite to value betting?

This is one of my former flaws that once I get rid off, I saw big improvements in my bankroll.

I was just going for the homeruns too soon and the best % I had when doing this was rarely better than coin flips.

Yes, you have a good but non-premium hand and want to limit losses but also make sure that you get action from worse hands. I.e. you can definitely still win the pot, but you know that if you just bet big the whole way, you'll only get called down by better hands.

Interesting idea on it being the opposite of value betting, I like that!

Very useful information to improve the game.
I especially drew attention to the following nuances.
We think we often have the best hand, but don’t want to play a big pot. So we exercise Pot Control by checking a street. This limits the size of the pot and increases the chances that our opponent makes it to showdown with a worse hand.
You’re making a plan based on the flop; this plan is completely subject to change.
It’s usually best to bet earlier on coordinated flops and later in the hand on dry flops.
When planning, you must take into account: position, type of opponent and pre-flop action.
Very interesting lines for the top pair with a slight kicker: bet-check-bet; Bet-check-call
If your opponent rearranged you, do not forget to fold.

Glad to hear you found Day 16 useful and thanks for taking the time to articulate so many key points about hand planning!

I really liked this session. I have been aware of pot control and this session has really sharpened my focus on it and the advice on using hand planning makes the control far more effective with the examples being really helpful. Flexibility is the key I think. Thank you.

Well said and I totally agree!

Bank control is very important! The value of your hand can change on any street, and when you control the bank you have a larger set of your actions!

My experience is people tend to get married to their strong hands early and have trouble pot controlling when they're worried about being outdrawn. For instance on a 89Jhh flop with AdAc some players tend to overbet the pot to try and get rid of draws.

How do you feel about pot control with premium hands on a coordinated flop? Is there risk of being exploited if you pot control when scare cards come out (i.e. a ten or heart comes out on the turn in the example above)?

As you very correctly point out, people often get married to the strength of their hand! We want to continually be reevaluating the strength of our hand so as to not over or understate it's value it. In the flop example you gave, while it of course depends a lot on the action/number of other players, a lot of the time our Aces will have plummeted in value from being a pre-flop premium hand to being one where we're starting to look for a cheaper showdown.

To more directly answer your question, we are not being exploited so long as we made a bet on the flop that accomplishes what we're looking for at that point. There are almost always bad cards for us that could come, and when they fall it doesn't mean we made an error on a previous street.

This lesson already helped me in some hands. I'm trying to always think before a action, looking in the table who will probably call, who should fold and if there is a possibility of anyone shove over my bet. I'm now taking a look in all the table before take my decisions and not only on one or two players.

That's great, thinking ahead is a key skill in all poker variations. I'm happy to hear you're applying it well in your games

I heard about pot control, but I didn't understand how it is possible when you are playing against people who do not know what you want. Now I think pot control is more obvious to me, and planning how many bets I want to place in the pot is the key to pot control. Thanks for the great course.

Here's a hand from a recent Cardschat freeroll.
I tried planning here, after seeing the flop basically my plan was to bet bet bet, but I made a tiny bet on the flop to give the opponent a good price to stay in the hand.
I figured they could have medium pair or a couple high cards, maybe A with a high card.
In the end of course I was very unlucky and they were drawing to a straight (and I guess my bet on the turn (still smallish), was good considering implied odds)
Should I have checked the river since scary Jack got there, or was it correct to assume I probably still had the best hand (since they called my 4BB preflop bet, they probably didn't have AA, KK (also I had two of those in my hand) or JJ that would've been pretty bad for me. So either they decided to bluff the river, had one pair and thought it was good/bluffed with it, had 99 and made a set on the flop, had KJ or AJ, or (what they actually had) QT and made their straight (but why would they call my strong bet preflop? I guess to outplay me post flop)



Winning Poker, Hold'em No Limit - 100/200 (20 ante) - 8 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

UTG: 1,975 (10 bb)
UTG+1: 2,509 (13 bb)
MP (Hero): 11,017 (55 bb)
MP+1: 21,671 (108 bb)
CO: 1,350 (7 bb)
BU: 6,817 (34 bb)
SB: 2,780 (14 bb)
BB: 5,130 (26 bb)

Pre-Flop: (460) Hero is MP with K♥ A♣
2 players fold, Hero raises to 800, MP+1 calls 800, 4 players fold

Flop: (2,060) A♦ K♠ 9♣ (2 players)
Hero bets 400, MP+1 calls 400

Turn: (2,860) 5♠ (2 players)
Hero bets 815, MP+1 calls 815

River: (4,490) J♦ (2 players)
Hero bets 3,368, MP+1 raises to 11,788, Hero calls 5,614 (all-in)

Total pot: 22,454

Showdown:
MP+1 shows Q♣ T♥ (a straight, Ten to Ace)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 35%, Flop: 16%, Turn: 9%, River: 100%)

MP (Hero) shows K♥ A♣ (two pair, Aces and Kings)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 65%, Flop: 84%, Turn: 91%, River: 0%)

MP+1 wins 22,454

This is a prime example of entitlement tilt. A lot of people feel, they "must" win the pot, if they have aces. But poker is about long term profit, and on a flop like this there are many better hands than AdAc. AdAc has moved way down in our range, and we need to adjust our expectations and plan accordingly. Another example would be holding JcJh on Js5s2h, but the turn and river brings 4s, 3s. We flopped the nuts, but if Villain wants to put money in the pot on the river, folding is often going to be our best option.

Interesting spot!

Pre-Flop: Raise less ($600 max)

Flop and Turn: Bet slightly more, particularly at the turn

River: I would value bet this river too. It's pretty nasty when we get raised. Against a loose or unknown player, I would call it off. Against a tight/passive opponent, we only beat a bluff and won't be facing one often enough so we can bet/fold and get away from this.

But to answer your question in a more succinct way No I usually wouldn't check the river for pot control here, I would bet for value and prevent your opponent from checking back worse hands such as AT.

Your goal with a strong but not unbeatable hand like two pair is to generate the maximum amount of value, and the way to do that is to bet much larger on the flop and turn. You dont need to bet pot or anything crazy, but in a freeroll and against the chip leader, you can certainly bet at least half pot on both flop and turn and still get called by a ton of worse hands.

And its totally ok, if he then fold a gutshot. In fact this is the preferred outcome, because while he would make a mathematical mistake by calling large bets with a gutshot, he has excellent implied odds, when we are as strong as top two pair. As just as this for him can be a legitimate reason to call, it is equally important for us, that we deny him those implied odds.

Your betsizing is literally like begging him to stick around, so he can suck out and own you on the river, and this is a major mistake. Not just in this hand but in general. As played I would also bet-call the river. He can certainly have worse hands like AJ or KJ, which he think, he is raising for value. You are also getting around 3:1, and I certainly think, you are good here more than 25% of the time.

What would be the reasoning for raising less?
With the flop and turn, yeah, makes sense. He would probably give up at the turn.

Mainly to keep the pot smaller for ICM reasons and to give less incentive for someone to 3-bet or rejam on you. Of course its possible to use staggered bet sizing against players, who dont pay attention or dont care, but against better opponents you dont want to for instance mini-raise your marginal hands and then raise to 7BB, when you have AA, because then you will not get action, when you want it.

Well said, fundiver, and I totally agree with your reasons for raising smaller in this spot!

Pot control is very important, I practice it a lot, a good position on the table helps a lot to take control of the pot, although sometimes it is very difficult to do it against aggressive players and players who bluff a lot

On the T7 hand with JTQ9J board, would a thin value bet ever be correct? If villain has checked back two streets it seems unlikely he has a Q or J, would trying to get some calls from A high not be worthwhile? Given he limped pre from UTG it seems possible he has some kind of weak Ax (which he did). Is this simply too narrow of a showdown range to try and get value out of?

I think, it is to thin. Any K or 8 has a straight on the turn, so Villain can certainly be checking back some hands, that are stronger than T4. These will of course call a river bet before any worse hand will call, and to bet for value we need to be good 50% of the time when called.

I agree with Fundiver here