OK... Pot manipulation.... what is it?

[Gomez22]

Mentioned by Scrub and Bunky (and some others I'm, forgetting) in regards to some of my posts are things like pot manipulation (or keeping the pot small so you can make good calls/folds on later streets).

What exactly is this(I can understand SOME of it) and how is it used? I was told before to bet the size of the pot (or very close to it) whenever betting. Is this something like a "learning to crawl before walking" type of thing?

Would this be an example?.....

($.50 BB NLHE) You have 7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif 6 /images/graemlins/spade.gif in big blind, 3 limpers to you, you check.... Flop has 2 of your suit, and you bet to give yourself odds to draw for the flush? Say something in the neighborhood of 1/3-1/2 the pot?

Am I close on this pot manipulation thingy here? Can anyone else explain it in a sensible manner. or should I just think about it as making bets/raises that still give me the correct odds to continue in the hand with a draw/marginal holding?

Thanks,

'Mez

[1800GAMBLER]

Pot Manipulation is a limit play. You keep the pot small preflop/flop to knock people out with a double bet on the flop/turn, it's very rarely perfect to use it, because there's so many requires that have to be met.

The limit play has little value in NL since you can just charge them anyhow.

What you've heard about is 'Being a pussy to avoid tough decisions later on'. Yet sometimes it does have merit. I can think of one i played before, which i considered it.

6 max $1k game with me and 5 very weak spots who i'd be surprised if they could beat any stakes so i'm guessing they are rich, addicted or trying to hit and run, anyhow.

I had K6o in the BB fishy open limps in the CO, SB completes i check. Pot: $30

Flop:

K 7s 3s i have none of that suit.

I bet the pot and fishy calls.

Turn: To Pot: $90

Right now i know i'm out of position for the river, in which i can't value bet this hand because he wont call with less. So on the river i'm going to have to check to him, now against a good player who will bluff optimally i'd check, to avoid a close deicision for a lot of chips. Fishy here will not bluff the river at all, he'll also call with a pair of 7s here (he wont call with 7s on the river), a king, the flush and straight draw.

So i went ahead and bet $90 and he calls.

River was an offsuit brick, and we both check the $270 pot and i win.

David's turning good hands into 72o could also be another example of keeping the pot small, but that does it for other reasons.

'and you bet to give yourself odds to draw for the flush?'

Never do this play for that reason, if you aren't betting it for value (3+ callers). The reason you will have the odds to draw to the flush on the turn is because of the dead money from your mistake on the flop.

I'm not saying betting the flop is a mistake, it's my usual play, but i'm not betting at it so i can have the odds to call on the turn.

[1800GAMBLER]

Here's a simple idea.

Assume no antes/blinds.

You have 67s and the other player has AA, you both go at it preflop raising the hell out of each other, you flop a draw and correctly/making money call on each street. So postflop your calls are making a +EV (money) on each street, but the only reason for that is because of all the dead/lost/-EV money you put in preflop.

Yet if you didn't raise him preflop you would have to fold the flop when you hit your draw.