Handling people betting small
 

Since starting to play more 6max i have got in trouble with people betting small like 1/4 - 1/3 pot. It would be nice with some comments to how to play theese common situations.

1) in position
2/4 6 max all stacks 400

A bit loose villain in utg+1 open for 16. Tight Mp utg+2 calls and folded to me on button, i call with red 99. Blinds fold.

Flop comes T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] pot 54

Villain bets 16 and MP folds. Up to me then. What to do? fold, call, raise? I think i am ahead here most of the time since villain would make this play on any two overcards and any flushdraw but also with any setor overpair hoping to get raised (yes he tends to pay of sets with overpairs pretty good).

I decide my hand is good and raise to 60 he calls. turn comes 6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] pot 174 and he leads out for 50 this doesnt change his hand distribution very much he would basicly do this even with a set since he doesnt seem to belive in punishing flush draws. I fold but feel very stupid. I think that if ill play the flop i have to continue here. but that even means calling the river witch can be a small bet or a big one.

How would you play this?

2) oop
Same game same villain but now i am oop

i raise before flop with AKo to 16 he calls behind me flop comes J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] pot is now 38

i check, he bets 10, i call hoping for a scare card or an ace or king

turn comes 3 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] pot is 58 i check he bets 18 i call.

river comes 3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] pot 94 pairing the board i check he bets 80 i fold.


i feel totaly outplayed on both hands, can anyone give som guidlines on how to play theese kind of players, when to go for the steelraise with nothing and when to just give up. Also notice that this guy goes ultra passive with big hands if i raise his small bets hoping for me to overplay a pair or similar.

Re: Handling people betting small
 

I run into this all the time. Not unlike minraising, the minbet can be frustrating. It has been my experience that villain is most always on a draw or weak here, looking for a cheap showdown. Also, when you call the turn villain often pots river hoping you will fold. I call the turn and any non club river here. You will be surprised how many times villain is on air at the river.

Another tactic is calling villains riase with any suited ace, suited connectors (even three gappers) because the downfall of his strat is he gives drawing hands odds. And, if he is playing his sets and overpairs this way he will be paying off when you get there a large percentage of the time. The key here is hand selction against these guys. While i feel like you are ahead here a large percentage of the time...instead of guessing you can manipulate your hand range to directly counter his betting strategy and punish him for using it.

Re: Handling people betting small
 

nice post savman, i like it.