[turnipmonster]

being primarily a PL player myself, I probably am a little like you, my default is to bet/raise pot.

1. Do you have a 'standard bet', or is every bet based entirely on the situation.
2. If the answer to question 1 is 'yes', then what is your standard bet?

I think there is a point where pot commitment decisions outweigh odds laying decisions. in other words, if I am shortstacked enough that a pot raise is going to commit me, I am much less likely to bet or raise the full pot.


3. How often do you estimate you make your standard bet compared to how often you will bet less or more?


probably a little too much. I bet the pot probably 70-80% of the time.


4. What factors do you consider when deciding how much to bet?


of course opponent's stack size and my own are both huge factors. to me, betting the river is really a separate mix of science/art than the rest of the streets. on the river, I think you can be more creative in deciding how much they'll call.

vs. a drawing hand, I try to make my opponent make as big a mistake as possible. against people who can't fold draws this is easy, since overbetting allows them to make a huge mistake by calling (especially if they don't have implied odds or immediate odds). against thinking opponents who can lay down a draw it is trickier, and I feel it's often better to try and get them to make a smaller mistake if I have a good read and don't have to pay them off.


5. Is there a difference between your betting patterns in cash games/tourneys?


in tourneys you are often short stacked, and most times the blinds are worth something, no? (I don't play that many tourneys). in cash games I am never really all that shortstacked and I usually care little about stealing the blinds, since usually risking $20 to win $10 is not my favorite move. so this situation only comes up when I have a shortstacked opponent. I play high card poker against short stacks, i.e. I play very tight to a raise before me and will frequently raise short stacks preflop to destroy their implied odds. basically they make a big mistake playing trash like suited connectors for a raise, so I try to let them make it.

I played in a NL game the other day where minraising was a really popular move, but I just can't cotton to it. against people you play with regularly, especially if they are weak I am a big fan of continually reminding them that they are going to have to put a lot of chips in the pot to play a pot with me. against stronger players I might like stuff like minraising a little better, since you usually have less of a read.
--turnipmonster