Hi,
looking to improve as a recreational $1-3 NLHE player (MGM National Harbor).
My postflop play is mediocre...I see a lot of players bet x% each time on flop, others vary it a little or a lot. Pros and cons would be nice, or is there an optimal strategy? lkj
There is really no optimum strategy to use as far as I know of. There are many reasons to pick one. Some pick a same size bet. This is great as a player will never know if its a
bluff or not due to the size. Now betting 1/2 pot could get you more calls and get people to fold the junk. Betting Pot will get you more folds but the problem becomes you are getting fold that you dont want. If I call you with 2nd or 3rd pair on a 1/2 pot bet I may fold to a pot size bet. Not what you want with aces. Small 1/3 pot bets are great as you get people to fold junk but your giving great
odds to see the turn with at a gut shot. They may call you with over's and in there are multiable people in the pot look out.
As for various sizes, This is really not explainable but many of these players and newer or advanced players. Many new players will tell you what they have bye the flop bet. Small is nothing and large they have it. Really good players will vary it for a multitude of reasons. To get you to fold or call. They will bet lager to get more chips in the pot or just to make you fold. They bet small to keep you in and to fold. You cant read them if they are truly good players. They base there bets on there opponents and what they want to achieve.
If you really want to do whats easiest to be safe and achieve a good payout overall, I would just go with a 1/2 pot bet. The other players wont know what it means and your more likely to get calls you want and fold out the trash. Just remember dont bet 100% of the time.
FYI, i would not worry about bet sizing as much as becoming a better reader of the board post flop. No matter how you bet not reading the board and realizing your in trouble is more inportant. So many time I have seen people bet into me with aces on a board that screams they should stop betting and fold.
