Betsizes

[Mabose]

Many good NL players tend to make pot-sized bets often. Is there a theoretical reason for this betsize or is it just that they are used to playing PL ? When I play NL I often make bets half the pot or 3/4 of the pot. However in tougher games some players seem to read this as weakness. Is it better to switch to an always pot tactic in this type of games ?

[Rudbaeck]

The reason many players make only pot sized bets is that varying your bet size might well create a horde of tells. If you were entirely certain that varied betting wouldn't give too much away it would be better, as there is alot to be said for more precise pot size manipulation.

[Louie Landale]

Bet size is mostly a function of your position, the number of opponents, and the board. What you actually have is much less important. Bet more with larger number of opponents, in bad position, and when the board is draw rich. Bet less with few opponents, in position, or when no draw is possible or there is a pair on board. Those criteria apply well for PF and flop, less for the turn and the river.

You should vary bet sizes if you're sure you will be able to manipulate the opponents better than they can pick up on a pattern.

Caro seems to believe that 3/4 pot size bets "should" be routine, but I really don't know why. Pot size bets give the opponents 2:1 to call, 3/4 sized bets give 2.3:1 odds. Don't know what difference that would make.

- Louie

[Lou Krieger]

Although we all fall into habits, such as making a "standard" three to four BB raise in N/L tournaments, it helps to think of the objective to be achieved by raising. If you have a terrific hand and want to extract the maximum from your opponents, you should bet the absolute most they will call and not a penny more. If you want them out of the pot, you should bet the absolute minimun that would cause them to fold and not a penny less.

Because knowing where those lines fall is difficult to impossible to determine, we fall into "standard" betting patterns to keep from broadcasting tells.

Anyway, that's my opinion, and it works pretty well as a guide for determining how much to bet.
_________
Lou Krieger

[AncientPC]

[ QUOTE ]
Caro seems to believe that 3/4 pot size bets "should" be routine, but I really don't know why. Pot size bets give the opponents 2:1 to call, 3/4 sized bets give 2.3:1 odds. Don't know what difference that would make.

[/ QUOTE ]

I personally do the same, as you get the same information from betting 3/4 or pot sized (and usually the players calling pot sized can beat TPTK or being charged for their draw).