Top pair.. Bet sizing??

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Bluebottle88

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OK so I'm new to poker.. Been playing on and off for fun for a while but not for money or really using any strategy other than AA = good.... 7-2 not so good...

The last month I started playing for money and studying, reading books, watching videos, learning some strategy, developing my own ranges etc... I was loosing at first, then I started breaking even... Winning a bit, making a few mistakes, making a bit more.. Until loosing a big bet usually by having a good hand on the flop and trying to see it out and getting out drawn on the river...

I've started making a profit from most of my sessions now but I was opening a-k, a-q, k-q.. Hitting top pair on the flop with good kicker and trying to get value betting around 30%-50% pot hoping to get called and id make it to the river and get beat... I've started raising the flop at least the size of the pot or just over since I've made this change I'm getting people to fold and I'm making money...

What is correct?

I had another thread on here where I opened KK for 5Bb.. Bet the flop and turn for value and got beat by 88.. Where the river card was an 8... Betting bigger id have probably won this hand too...
 
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yoejslattery

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What limits are you playing at? the 88 vs KK beat may have been a bad player getting rewarded even though you played the hand well but they may have thought you had some kind of A high hand or something and again got lucky at the river.

I would be careful raising bigger on the flop with TP. You are still going to get called by better obviously so you may end up losing big pots and only winning small pots. Half pot bets are plenty in order to give your opponents the wrong odds to draw. you also will become predictable if you bet big with TP depending on what you do when you miss the flop.
 
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Bluebottle88

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What limits are you playing at? the 88 vs KK beat may have been a bad player getting rewarded even though you played the hand well but they may have thought you had some kind of A high hand or something and again got lucky at the river.

I would be careful raising bigger on the flop with TP. You are still going to get called by better obviously so you may end up losing big pots and only winning small pots. Half pot bets are plenty in order to give your opponents the wrong odds to draw. you also will become predictable if you bet big with TP depending on what you do when you miss the flop.

I would agree with you but I seem to always get called with smaller bets.. I'm only taking about raising big with hands that very few hands beat.. K-q.. With k on the flop, not betting paired or suited boards so getting beat by A-A, A-k, K-k.. Pairs that flop a set.. Also I'm playing low stakes 0.01/0.02.. 2nl
Players call low bets and fold to big ones... Also the hands I'm getting beat by are raising bigger pre flop.
 
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yoejslattery

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But getting called is what you want when you have a hand. Especially in 2nl people will call down with anything. at that point you are betting for value.
 
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Bluebottle88

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But getting called is what you want when you have a hand. Especially in 2nl people will call down with anything. at that point you are betting for value.



Maybe I've been unlucky but when I've been called I've lost on the Turn or river... I've been more profitable raising big preflop and raising big on the flop and everyone folding
 
eurosTotnd

eurosTotnd

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i like betting 45% pot when i have low kicker and 2/3 with high kicker.
 
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Guernica1974

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top pair

if you only have top pair - i would not bet much since you are likely to loose!

most likely people calling already havecyou beaten on two pairs or a set.

the players with a under pair drawing you on turn or river is 1) really bad players that cant fold a pocket pair or 2) they are putting you on A somethig not paired on the board and in both cases they just win on low odds
 
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dlam

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Pot equity is 75% For typical scenario HU on the flop against an under pair
So for HU scenario bet 1/2 to 3/4 pot
I c-bet about the same even if I don’t hit.
If there more than 3or more on the flop then equity changes as more than likely someone chasing straight /flush or has two pair already or set. So I’m more cautious betting maybe 1/2 pot. Or even check raising or reraising light to see where you are at the flop
It tough to play top pair if it’s not A/K/Q.
Half the time J is the top pair and the other time can be beat by over pair
Dry boards can mean someone hit a set
Wet boards are dangerous with more than one opponent seeing the flop
Also better to raise and eliminate as many people to the pre flop with two high cards as a general rule
 
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Loky13

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Usually when I have a monster like KK(and the flop doesn't have a K in it)i try to take the pot untill the river card hits,,so betting big here is absolutly necessary in my opinion.
 
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Sidetracked

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The amount you should bet is dependent on the flop texture (wet or dry/ many draws or few draws). the wetter the board, the more you should tend to bet. The drier the board, the less you can bet.
 
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