Are you aware of why you are betting?

[dbchristy]

Hopefully, I am betting to either: have a worse hand call me or to make a better hand fold. This is probably the biggest "leak" that you will encounter playing micro- or low-stakes poker. Try playing above your normal "level" (buy-in) or stakes, it will seem as if you are being run over because "better" players are not even thinking like you are. (trust me, i am including myself in the micro-stakes "level")

How many times do you see someone flop the Nuts and bomb the flop, just to watch everyone fold?? When you have a very strong hand, you want to bet for value (some micro players will always trap), but you want to bet an amount that will allow weaker hands to continue. Another mistake is players playing flush draws as if they are made hands. People will shove or call with a flush draw, there is a time and place to semi-bluff mostly the Nut flush or 2nd Nuts but people will bomb away with 5 7 spades on a 2 spade flop. Sometimes they win, but it is definitely not profitable.

This question is something that can be discussed for hours and hours. I am continuously trying to have a better understanding of the actions I take and the reasons WHY. I just review my hands and try to identify WHY on every action I took. More often than not, the decisions that turned out horribly are the same decisions that I cannot really give you a sound reason for doing what i did.

Thanks, Good "thinking" question.

Loved this thread, and really liked your post. Its true, they dont even thin:captain:k the way we do.

 

[HobokenNJ]

Hopefully, I am betting to either: have a worse hand call me or to make a better hand fold.

I read this in the Grinder's Manual and it is truly profound. Don't just bet to take down the action -- unless you want it to end.

If you have Ax, and the flop is AXX (no flush / no straight potential), a nice small bet may serve your purposes better than a large one. You could get some callers with weaker pairs. A huge raise (& everyone folding) may not be as +EV as a smallish raise and a bigger one later. (Anyone calling that huge raise may, for, e.g., have a better kicker.)

Conversely, if there is a flush or straight potential building, maybe you want to bet a bit more and deny good pot odds to someone looking for that last spade.


It's a tricky game, this one.

 

[banananvitalia]

I bet to win)

 

[xxgsaint5501xx]

Poker, in order to survive we have to we take right decisions, although we are subject to making mistakes at any time.

These right decisions must be taken with the information that we have during the game. These often incomplete information.

To get the so desired success, we have that is attentive to all but one of the many things to be decided are the cards in our hands, it is something of value worth investing our chips or are starting hands are trash.

We must also know why I'm playing this hand, "Value", "bluff" or "semi-bluff.

Given what I said in this short essay, I leave you a question: "Are you aware of why is betting?"

I would love to hear from you my friends from CardsChat. Hugs for all ... !!!

I think there are only two reasons to bet. To get more money in the pot when you have the best hand. Or to get a better hand to fold. There are other reasons perhaps but they are likely an offshoot or variation of one of these reasons.