Distinctive betting pattern: what\'s he got?
 

Hi,

Here are two examples of a distinctive betting pattern I've seen a fair bit lately. Does anyone have a good line on what people are playing when they bet this way?

Watch the small blind in this one:

Stars NLHE game, $1 BB. Folded to button who raises $3, SB calls.

Flop: 8-4-2. SB bets $10. Button raises to $30. SB calls. Turn is a 9. SB bets out $20 with $35 left.

Second example. Watch the UTG player. Same kind of game.

UTG limps, and several players call, including two who posted additional blinds this hand.

Flop: T-4-2 with two spades. UTG bets $1, a few callers, LP player raises to $15 and only UTG calls. Turn is an offsuit 7, UTG bets $20 with $25 left.

In both cases an early position player has led at the flop, got raised fairly strongly, and just called. An apparently unthreatening card falls on the turn and he leads off again, leaving only a small amount still to bet.

Do you have a line on this play?

Guy.

Re: Yes.
 

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Hi,

Here are two examples of a distinctive betting pattern I've seen a fair bit lately. Does anyone have a good line on what people are playing when they bet this way?

Watch the small blind in this one:

Stars NLHE game, $1 BB. Folded to button who raises $3, SB calls.

Flop: 8-4-2. SB bets $10. Button raises to $30. SB calls. Turn is a 9. SB bets out $20 with $35 left.

Second example. Watch the UTG player. Same kind of game.

UTG limps, and several players call, including two who posted additional blinds this hand.

Flop: T-4-2 with two spades. UTG bets $1, a few callers, LP player raises to $15 and only UTG calls. Turn is an offsuit 7, UTG bets $20 with $25 left.

In both cases an early position player has led at the flop, got raised fairly strongly, and just called. An apparently unthreatening card falls on the turn and he leads off again, leaving only a small amount still to bet.

Do you have a line on this play?

Guy.




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Over Pair, a little unsure of itslef, but knows its gonna get all-in and doesnt want to scare away opponents (TT, JJ, QQ), which is why its played this way from Early Position ...See it all the time.

And on the first hand I think Button has AK, that seems to be a common raise.

Re: Distinctive betting pattern: what\'s he got?
 

I usually take this to mean they have something monster like a set.

Re: Distinctive betting pattern: what\'s he got?
 

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I usually take this to mean they have something monster like a set.

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When I see this it almost alway means a biggish pair, maybe underpair to one of the cards on the board, or it means they picked up two pair or something else they liked on the turn.

On rare occasions, this kind of betting turns out to be a strong draw.

SpaceAce

Re: Why I make the bucks....
 

No one plays set or nut hand this way, those hands are usually check-raised. These guys are making sure their opponents dont take free cards, they are playing from EP with TT, JJ, QQ - count on it.

Re: Why I make the bucks....
 

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No one plays set or nut hand this way, those hands are usually check-raised. These guys are making sure their opponents dont take free cards, they are playing from EP with TT, JJ, QQ - count on it.

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So why don't they go all in on the turn if they are afraid of giving free cards? For that matter why do they flat call a big raise on the flop?

Re: Why I make the bucks....
 

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No one plays set or nut hand this way, those hands are usually check-raised. These guys are making sure their opponents dont take free cards, they are playing from EP with TT, JJ, QQ - count on it.

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So why don't they go all in on the turn if they are afraid of giving free cards? For that matter why do they flat call a big raise on the flop?

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because they are weaktight.

Re: Distinctive betting pattern: what\'s he got?
 

Obviously this is quite player dependent, but if I had no reads whatsoever on these players it would smell like a set to me.

Re: Distinctive betting pattern: what\'s he got?
 

Both hands look like small sets. The tiny bet on a raggedy board screams of it. The fact they can call such a big raise really leaves little doubt. They get most of the rest of their money in on the turn cuz they are almost certainly going to be called by the raiser.

al

Re: Distinctive betting pattern: what\'s he got?
 

Some interesting replies here.

I was glad to see some of you putting these players on a set, since the last few times I've seen this betting pattern, that's exactly what the turn bettor had.

In the examples I gave, one time the SB caught a set of nines on the turn, having had an overpair to the flop; and the other time was a set of 2s.

To me, this betting pattern is inconsistent. An EP player has bet, been raised heavily, and called. Then he bets the turn when an apparently irrelevant card hits. There's no reason to do this: most likely the flop raiser will bet again. I think the best explanation is a very big hand that is not sure of how to play but wants to get money in.

Next time I see this, I will be folding if I don't have a monster.

Guy.