[trumpman84]

When reading comments on NL hands, I often see "You should've bet the pot on the flop etc.

In most situations I think of, a 1/2 - 3/4 sized bet seems to be appropriate and is the size I'm more comfortable using.

If you raise with big cards, miss and want to make a continuation bet - 1/2 pot is normally right to get the best odds on your bet (only has to take it down 1 out of every 3 times)

If you raise with a big hand and do not improve on the flop, it seems a 1/2 - 3/4 pot sized bet would cose you less chips for those times you meet a lot of resistance and have to let it go.

If you flop a big hand that has redraws or is not vulnerable to the next card off, you could bet 1/2 - 3/4 instead of the whole pot. The smaller bet will make people more willing to call you with almost dead hands or make a play at you.

If on the turn, you have a marginal or big hand and you think your opponent is on a draw that will beat your hand if it gets there, 3/4 of the pot is enough to give him incorrect odds on his draw, but enough to make him maybe want to draw incorrectly. You don't want people to fold their draws, you want them to make incorrect calls. If you overbet the pot to make them fold, you are making them play correctly. If you bet 3/4, they may call only getting 2.5/1 thinking they have implied odds, but you can kill those by folding if their draw comes. Also, it's a smaller bet so you can get away from your marginal hands easier if your read of a draw is wrong.

The only times I really use pot sized bets is when I have the nuts or near nuts and I think my opponent has a very strong hand also, or if I flop a monster on a draw heavy board QQ on a QJ9 with two suits for example.

I just don't like too much of a bet in when a raise would really be really bad for me or I would hate to put in a full pot bet with a monster and have everyone fold when a 1/2 - 3/4 could of possibly got someone to come along with a dead hand or gotten someone to make a play at me.

Thoughts?