Making a real bet

[microbet]

I pretty much never lead out on the flop with less than 1/2 pot (usually more). Do you? If so, when?

[I don't always lead out, of course.]

[Moonsugar]

Only if I have less than 1/2 the pot left in my stack.

I HATE the nusiance bets/raises that are really checks.

[citanul]

[ QUOTE ]
Only if I have less than 1/2 the pot left in my stack.

I HATE the nusiance bets/raises that are really checks.

[/ QUOTE ]

why do you hate them? is it because you're forced to fold to them a lot?

yes, i do make smaller than 1/2 pot bets many times. the situations i do so in would take a long time to list/explain. but it all makes sense.

one line about it would be that if you frequently bet smallish with your good hands you can bluff more cheaply too.

citanul

[microbet]

[ QUOTE ]
one line about it would be that if you frequently bet smallish with your good hands you can bluff more cheaply too.

citanul

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you think that pays off in a single SNG or is based on facing the same players often?

[citanul]

Clearly the effects are even better if you play a slower structure and/or playing against a small player pool, but I think that if you use the small bet in proper spots, the effect is positive on a play by play basis.

Particularly if you under bet a decent spectrum of hands: pure bluffs, monsters, and a few just plain old decent hands, (and a bunch of situational spots where it is probably the correct play,) you'll often:

a) pick up small pots with pure bluffs
b) pick up huge pots when people think that your small bet with a monster is just you "checking" and decide to push you off your hand
c) (i'm not a huge fan of this one really but whatever) build monster pots in multiway situations with monster draws.

citanul

[microbet]

[ QUOTE ]
a) pick up small pots with pure bluffs

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll do this if I'm HU on the flop against someone who has a fairly short stack and I think that even against a small bet they will have to fold or commit their stack.

[citanul]

well yes, the idea in that spot of "threatening someone's whole stack while only committing a small chunk of yours" is one of the many spots where this pays off.

citanul

[NYCNative]

[ QUOTE ]
why do you hate them? is it because you're forced to fold to them a lot?

[/ QUOTE ]I think the OP is referring to the strange thing I see in the #11s all the time. A raised pot pre-flop at the 30/60 level with two callers has about t500 in it. Flop comes out and UTG... bets the $60 minimum.

Calling it a "nuisance bet" is the best way to describe it. They're a pain in the ass. As long as you've got something to draw to, you have to call it. But you feel dirty when you do. Maybe it prevents someone from raising you or making a larger bet when you check, but I don't think the people at these levels are that savy.

[microbet]

Thanks for your responses to a vague post. There was another post this morning where someone made a 1/4 pot bet and I didn't want to semi-hijack that thread.

[adanthar]

Hmm, that's an interesting difference.

Aside from some blind hands (open complete, flop middle pair, etc.) and some specific situations that don't often come up, I don't think I ever bet less than 2/3 on the flop.