Weiss's List of Common Bets: Part 1, 2, 3

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Weisssound

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The mathematics of poker is very important. But in order to understand the mathematics, you have to be able to put your opponents on "likely holdings" and in order to do that you have to understand what their actions imply. In some instances, some actions can be so readable that you can actually narrow a hand down to the exact value of what they are holding.

But, you need to speak the language. And the language is betting patterns. So here's some common bets and what they generally mean in terms of Lvl 1 thinking.

C-Bet: A bet of 2/3 to 3/4 the pot made by the pre-flop aggressor. This bet can be a value bet if they connected with the board, a bluff if they did not, or an information bet if they have a holding that is only ahead slightly more often than it is behind (like holding AK on 2 8 7 board).

Doing it correctly: Against call stations as a value play, against passive players as "protection" style bet/easy fold, and in a balanced manner. Biggest mistake: c-betting EVERY board against EVERY player. C-betting a good amount is good, c-betting almost every to every flop is not.

Protection Bet: A bet that's the size of the pot or more. This is most commonly used as a bet with a value hand that is likely ahead but vulnerable (pocket Jacks on a 7 7 9 board with two suited cards). It's meant to give your opponent bad odds to see another card.

Flat Call/Smooth Call Calling a bet/raise. There are three basic flat calls: the float (calling to bluff later), the light call (calling with a hand that has show down value), and the smooth call (calling with a big hand in order to get more value later).

I personally think calling is the most overused play, because people don't think of it as a play. BUT, it is. You have to be aware of what kind of call you are making. I find people on lower stakes have particularly unbalanced calling ranges where they:

Smooth call too much: no one wants to scare someone out of the pot, but remember we want to get as much money in the pot as possible when we have monsters. The bigger we can get earlier streets the bigger we can get later streets.

Calling light often or never: Some people call light WAY too much. Some people don't call light at all. Your calling range should be relative to who you're playing against, and your own image.

Floating Without A Play: If you're going to float a street, you should have "if/then" plans for the next street. "If I improve, then I will..." "If I do improve, then I will..."


I wanted to start with these three because they are very common.
 
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Stalfos

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Weiss you make great posts man. Thanks.
 
AugustWest

AugustWest

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Nice, liked the "call" section very much, great info!
 
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Weisssound

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Weiss's List of Common Bets: Part 2

Going to continue with a few more bets. Though these ones may be less common on lower stakes tables, and really less common in general - it happens frequently enough where you can utilize them and need to understand them.

The DONK - A donk bet is when a player bets "out of turn." For example, if I'm in the blind and someone pre-flop raises - I like my hand so I call. Right now, the pre-flop raiser is said to "have the betting lead". The flop comes out. Traditionally I would check to the pre-flop raiser. If I choose to lead out with a bet, that would be a "donk" bet.

It's called a donk bet because it theoretically faces up your hand. It means you hit the board. On it's most basic level a donk bet is kind of a protection/value bet. If the board flops ten high, and I have T9 it's likely that I won't like the next cards and likely that I'm currently ahead in equity.

The problem with the donk bet is that it essentially faces up your hand. It yells "I've hit the board". Which makes this bet exploitable. If I'm holding overcards and someone donks into me, I may call even without appropriate odds simply because I know any over card to the board will be a scare card and I have position.

Donk bets are not generally effective as "standard" play. However, once you start looking for "spots" you can realize they are very effective.

Here's two spots where a donk bet is a solid play.

1). I'm SB with KK. An aggressive opponent raises mid position so I put him on a range of middle SCs, big suited one-gappers, A9+, suited Aces, and 55+. Fairly wide range. If I 3-bet, he's folding most of his range, so I decide 3-betting here isn't the way to max value. Instead I smooth call, which keeps my range fairly wide.

Flop comes 8 7 3, two suits on board. I elect to donk bet close to 3/4ths pot. Why? For value. There's a lot of hands that would call me here that would otherwise check back. Big Aces might peel. Draws call. Pocket pairs call. Anything involving an 8 will call. The only hands calling me that I'm actually behind are 87, set of 8s, set of 7s, possibly set of 3s, AA, and big draw hands like 9Tsuited to the board. That represents a small piece of villains range.

Even if the villain comes over the top after I donk the vast majority of his range is actually behind. If he flopped a set most players will likely smooth call. So coming over the top actually takes a lot of the scary hands out. My only real scare hands are 9Ts, which is exactly 1 combo, AA with all of 6 combos, and 87 which is 8 combos. What else comes over the top? How about vulnerable hands like J8s? or 89? or A8? How about draws with overs like QJs? AQs? How about overcards to the board - 99 TT and JJ look pretty good on that board.

So this is a SPOT where donk betting can be very effective.

2). I decide to defend my blind with 86s to an UTG +2 raiser.

Flop comes A 8 6.

In this situation it's fairly likely that UTG +2 hit that ace. Now, I could check-call or check-raise for value. BUT, let's include other hands that may have value like 99-KK, or KQ/KJs if the board has two suits out. Remember players don't like to give up their hands when they get QQ. So there's a pretty substantial number of cards in villain's range that will call here (watch for the tank time, QQ will spend a little more time in the hole than AK - and that's important for how the turn goes). So I'm getting value from any hand that I would be check-calling, and I can decide how much value it will be, and I'm possibly getting value from a few hands that would simply check back. And remember with an 8 and a 6 out there it's not impossible that there's a few draws I could be holding, especially if the board is double suited. The more draws I have in my range, the more value I can get.
 
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Stalfos

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Very nice explanation! Thank you.
 
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bobrook

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Well said. Lets say you have 6 7 in example 2): I would usually bet out from the blind. What would you label such a bet?
 
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Weisssound

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When you say "bet out from the blind" do you mean on the A 8 6 flop? If you weren't the pre-flop aggressor than that would be a donk bet. Not thee worst donk bet in the sense that you may fold out some 8s, some small pocket pairs, and a lot of overcards to your pair that may draw out. But unfortunately that only represents a small portion of villain's range for most players. Most of an EP raiser's range consists of Ax and bigger pocket pairs, and very little of that range folds to a single bet.

So in that scenario you are usually getting called by better, and only sometimes getting folds from better. Otherwise you are folding out KQ, KJ, 55-, all of which are behind you.

However, if you size it right you can throw your opponent off. If for example you are double suited and two of your suit hit the board, plus you have the backdoor straights and 2-pairs, then it might be worth donking to take the betting lead and control the pot. That's a kind of tricky play and requires you have at least a decent read on how your opponent acts. Softer opponents won't have much plan for that situation and will revert to their tendencies. Stronger opponents will know how to deal with that bet.
 
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Weiss's Ongoing List of Common Bets: Part 3

Min-betting

Min betting means betting a small amount, anywhere from the absolute minimum bet possible to less than half the pot would be considered a min bet. Min betting is NOT the same as min raising. While they look similar they are quite different.

A min bet is a polarizing bet, because it fundamentally means one of two things.

1) I don't have anything that good so I want to see the turn, river, showdown as cheaply as possible.

2) I have an insanely strong hand that's virtually unbeatable and I want people to call.

On occasion it can mean "I have an ok hand like top pair shit kicker and want to know where I'm at."

So how do we know which is which? Well, the biggest clue is opponent tendencies. A lot of people who min bet are habitual min betters. It's exploitable and usually means #1. The second biggest clue is table texture. If there's a lot of draws out, most made hands will not want to give people an opportunity to suck out on them. So min betters here will rarely have big hands.

How do we deal with a min bet? I treat a min bet similarly to how I would treat a check, particularly if it's something someone does frequently. I would often bet as if the hand had been checked to me and the pot was simply bigger, or if I'm out of position use the situation as a chance to get a second action (check-raising with air and strong hands (top pair good kicker +)). Low stake min betters bank on the fact that when they put in these small bets you don't know how to react. Watch your timing. Once habitual min betters figure out you've figured them out they will play back at you.

How should we use min bets? I'm not a huge fan of min betting. But it can be useful if you are playing a leveling game with an opponent. Basically, you can use a min bet to polarize your range early on in the hand and get people to either fold to a small bet, or to mentally commit to a show down before the turn and river show up. It's an intermediate to advanced play, and can be used even in interested range merging moves like:

J75, two hearts on board. Hero either leads out or is checked to and bets 1/3 pot. Villain calls. Turn comes K, no heart. Now hero value bets. Villain calls. River is 2 of hearts. Hero bets a bit over 1/2 pot.

Ultimately the hero shows down KQ having hit top pair on the turn.

Bottom line is it's a thinking player's bet when used correctly. I used it recently when I hit a set against a pre-flop raiser from the button. I check-called the flop. The turn put a flush out on the board so I min-bet lead out for 1/3 the pot hoping my opponent would see that as a blocker bet for a draw. He saw through it and folded. I don't mind my play, but he knew that I was thinking on that level and understood that if I really had a draw it would be a composite draw in that spot and would have simply check-called, or led out as a semi bluff. Lost yet? I am.
 
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