Online Betting Patterns from Streaming Pros

While I was watching Kevin Martin and Tonkaaaa playing online, I noticed a few things about their betting:

1) Preflop Raise Presets are between 2 and 3 BB (2, 2.25, 2.5, or whatever). This is probably due to their style of play being stronger post-flop players.


2) Usually changing bets to weird numbers: 787 , 163, 311, 569, etc rather than 750, 150, 300, 550.


Is there any reason for this? I can see how having weird numbers may make other players read into something that isn't there, give weirder numbers when calculating pot odds, or when you bet with these weird numbers, the chip stack graphic produced on the table is much larger because it must use more denominations of chips, making the bet look bigger than it really is?

rsimms said:

While I was watching Kevin Martin and Tonkaaaa playing online, I noticed a few things about their betting:

1) Preflop Raise Presets are between 2 and 3 BB (2, 2.25, 2.5, or whatever). This is probably due to their style of play being stronger post-flop players.


2) Usually changing bets to weird numbers: 787 , 163, 311, 569, etc rather than 750, 150, 300, 550.


Is there any reason for this? I can see how having weird numbers may make other players read into something that isn't there, give weirder numbers when calculating pot odds, or when you bet with these weird numbers, the chip stack graphic produced on the table is much larger because it must use more denominations of chips, making the bet look bigger than it really is?

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I would say it is mostly due the ability to raise more often preflop. By lowering your raise size, you allow yourself more profitbalility. Raising 2.5x vs 3x lets you win more by risking less chips.


EXAMPLE:
blinds 50/100
You raise to 300, everybody folds, you win 150

rsimms said:

While I was watching Kevin Martin and Tonkaaaa playing online, I noticed a few things about their betting:

1) Preflop Raise Presets are between 2 and 3 BB (2, 2.25, 2.5, or whatever). This is probably due to their style of play being stronger post-flop players.


2) Usually changing bets to weird numbers: 787 , 163, 311, 569, etc rather than 750, 150, 300, 550.


Is there any reason for this? I can see how having weird numbers may make other players read into something that isn't there, give weirder numbers when calculating pot odds, or when you bet with these weird numbers, the chip stack graphic produced on the table is much larger because it must use more denominations of chips, making the bet look bigger than it really is?

Click to expand...

About the first one youre right, their game is better postlop so their strategy is to play a bit on the looser side (when deepstacked) so they can go for more stabs.

for 2)
now lets say they open 2.2 bb with 20 chips being the bb. 2.2bb would be 44 chips, wich will lead to a "weird" chipnumber in the pot. Now if they bet 25%, 33% or 55% of the pot as a C-bet, it will allways be an uneven number.

Luepso said:

About the first one youre right, their game is better postlop so their strategy is to play a bit on the looser side (when deepstacked) so they can go for more stabs.

for 2)
now lets say they open 2.2 bb with 20 chips being the bb. 2.2bb would be 44 chips, wich will lead to a "weird" chipnumber in the pot. Now if they bet 25%, 33% or 55% of the pot as a C-bet, it will allways be an uneven number.

Click to expand...

I understand where that multiplying the blinds by a fraction rather than a whole number produces less pretty numbers, but sometimes you see them adjusting their bet with the bar to produce a pretty number that is a multiple of the blinds ( ie 300) THEN change the last 2 numbers (ie to 317).

rsimms said:

I understand where that multiplying the blinds by a fraction rather than a whole number produces less pretty numbers, but sometimes you see them adjusting their bet with the bar to produce a pretty number that is a multiple of the blinds ( ie 300) THEN change the last 2 numbers (ie to 317).

Click to expand...

Oh, ok. I didnt know about that. I would asume its because they try to throw of the maths of their opponents or to make bets look more/less scary but honestly i have no clue then.

rsimms said:

While I was watching Kevin Martin and Tonkaaaa playing online, I noticed a few things about their betting:

1) Preflop Raise Presets are between 2 and 3 BB (2, 2.25, 2.5, or whatever). This is probably due to their style of play being stronger post-flop players.


2) Usually changing bets to weird numbers: 787 , 163, 311, 569, etc rather than 750, 150, 300, 550.


Is there any reason for this? I can see how having weird numbers may make other players read into something that isn't there, give weirder numbers when calculating pot odds, or when you bet with these weird numbers, the chip stack graphic produced on the table is much larger because it must use more denominations of chips, making the bet look bigger than it really is?

Click to expand...

The 2x -2.5x preflop bets are laughable in my opionion but they use it to allow themselves to open their range and when facing a 3bet they can lose less.
I watched not gonna say whom for awhile. They often would only bet 2/3 to pot or over if they didnt have it. Then when they'd have it against the same opponent they would raise 1/3-1/4 asking for a dieing call. the consistency of there bet sizes are very off and when analyzing for yourself with a coach or preacher man. You realize everyone is doing this and each person does it slightly different. if betting with the nuts or a bluff with nothing the bet size should be the same everytime. Same with action timeing either always go fast or always go slow. I personally have my finger on the halfpot button before the cards come out bluff or got it I had a plan before the flop came. I bet check or shove within the first 1 seconds everytime. Just like a game of chess quick turns can have a mental impact on the opposing player.
the weird betting numbers allows for me to do funny things. say my opponent is watching me intently and knows my sizing. I feel he has second pair and isnt folding for low. so instead of risking a large bluff. I can make a weird amount that will make him stop and think for a second increasing fold rate instead of the opponent just throwing in the next chip because it was normal in the book to make the call.

sigh...

You guys are helping me out. Thank-you!

For years I've been asking myself "What are they thinking? ... Are they thinking?"
You guys have cleared a lot of this up for me. Thanks again!

The difference in raise sizes preflop are partly because of the size of the BB. Example 1BB in first level of a tourney might be $20 or $30. But as levels go up or the level of the player goes up, especially to the extent of the players mentioned, a 2.25 or a 2.5 bet saves the.75 or .5 price of a BB, but has the same result as a 3x or 4x size raise.

It's probably a mental edge they use for themselves, they're thinking that the players are perceiving them in a certain way.

Boys and girls. I got my second lesson at poker school today, and in two hours, I saw that the Teacher could win $ 3 and 71 cents. What's that?:sheep::sheep::sheep::sheep:

CTAPYXA said:

Boys and girls. I got my second lesson at poker school today, and in two hours, I saw that the Teacher could win $ 3 and 71 cents. What's that?:sheep::sheep::sheep::sheep:

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Huh? Whats that got to do with anything???