No limit question

[nicky g]

Let's say you have raised preflop and got one caller. The flop brings you top pair top kicker, and you have roughly 2 times the pot left in front of you. What's a good sized bet here? All-in seems a big overbet, while betting the pot will leave you with a puny amount to bet on the turn. Let's assume there's a 2-flush or similar draw out on the board.

[RiverMel]

All-in, this looks like a great spot to try to get my money in considering I have small stack. I also would be happy if the opponent folds, top pair top kicker is fairly shaky, don't let your opponent outdraw you for free.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

In this situation, you're sure not going to fold to a reraise, so get it all in.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

It depends upon the opponent. If I raised preflop and only have 2x the pot left on the flop, I must be pretty short-stacked. If the board is not too scary, and my 1-pair hand is likely to be way ahead or way behind, then I would often check the flop and look to induce excessive action from my opponent. I don't mind taking a little risk if the reward is high enough.

For example, let's you raised in middle or late position to 3xBB with AK, and the big blind called. You now have 12xBB in your stack, with 6.5xBB in the pot, and the opponent has you covered by plenty. If the flop is KT3, I'd be pretty happy to check behind, attempting to induce a bluff. A lot of NLH players would have a hard time not betting into you on the turn if anything other than an A hits, as they figure you for AQ or worse, or for a pocket pair that is afraid of the K (and maybe afraid of the T also). This way, you can get hands like 66, AJ, and the like to put their money into the pot when having very little chance of catching you. On the other hand, if you just bet 4-12xBB on the flop, they will almost always fold, and you win no more.

However, if the opponent is very conservative, and inducing a bluff isn't likely to work, then bet 4xBB on the flop, so as to deny the free card to a player who won't fall for the broken wing act. Some few guys are good enough to see through you, and others are just such rocks that they will never bet until they have a hand, even when your actions are begging them to steal the pot from you.

If the flop is more like KhQd8h, I'd most often bet about 4xBB on the flop, as there are so many possible draws. Firstly, you hate to give the free card. More importantly, if somebody has a draw, they will often call now when they have two chances to hit it, but will fold if you wait until teh turn to bet, as they've lost half of their chances. Similarly, if you wait until the river, now the draw will never pay you off unless it has hit.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[cferejohn]

Personally, if there was a flush draw out, I'd be prone to go all-in. If you make a small bet, someone with one card to the nut flush may well raise you all in, and you aren't really going to like that.

[nicky g]

"someone with one card to the nut flush may well raise you all in, and you aren't really going to like that"

Really? My question was posed with the assumption that you would like that - ie you really want for both of you to get it all-in here. After all, you have a pretty short stack, and the money is not so deep that for someone to be all-in against you he'd have to be beating you. I'd definitely want to gamble against the flush draw here as a solid favourite, to double up. If someone raises, there's almost no way I'd fold. Do others disagree? (we've not talked about what stage of the tournament you're in, which is obviously important).

[GarageBounty]

When a decent sized raise pre-flop trims the field of players to a heads-up situation and you flop top pair/strong kicker short stacked, I would put the heat on my opponent and go all-in. I've witnessed the NLHE strategy of raise pre-flop, nothing scary on flop, then push all in.

[Talex]

Well, I think I'd rather be on the aggressive side of this. In this situation I'd like to win the pot right there, especially short stacked I'm not interested in getting busted by a draw that's cheap for my deep opponent to call on. If he calls, it's not the end of the world since he still has to catch, but I think I'd rather just win the pot up front. 'Course I've got a lot to learn about this so let the buyer beware.

-Tim

[cferejohn]

That's exactly what I was thinking Talex. I'd rather win the pot right now, and if someone does call with the flush draw, I want them to be making as big a mistake as possible.