Folding equity

[Mr Gee]

Could someone give me a quick explanation of what is meant by folding equity?

Definition:
"The value that comes from the possibility that other players will fold when you make a bet.

For example: It is often better to make a bet than call a bet because betting has folding equity, whereas calling does not."

Example:
Suppose you are a 2:1 dog in a hand (~33%). If you feel your opponent is weak (or thinks you are stronger than you really are), you may estimate there is a 25% chance he will fold to your bet, you are now a favorite if you bet.

This is a lame example, but you should get the idea...

SP

[BasketballNYC]

Another simple example of fold equity is what is a bet worth purely based on the chance someone will fold. Let us say I am playing $1/$2 limit and on the river I have a busted draw. The pot has $20 in it. Will my opponent fold more then 1 in 10 times? If he will, then my bet(bluff) on the river has value because of the fold equity. If he will fold 1 in 5 times, I will win $20 once and lose $2 4 times for a net gain of $12, making my $2 bet worth $2.40 in profit.

A NL example would be when I am pretty sure that preflop my opponent has a pocket pair. I have AK. If he has a pair below KK I am a coinflip but if I raise I may get a smaller pair to fold. So the value of my hand is 50% of the pot, but my raise may have "fold equity" because he will fold a certain amount of the time. This is very situation dependent and the math is subjective. If I only am able to raise him half what he bet, the fold equity is pretty much 0 because he is not folding. If he is a new player (or just a loose one), he is not folding any pair above 5's. However, if I have a deep stack, my opponent is tight and weak and I have a tight image myself, my fold equity may be huge.

[Mr Gee]

So does folding equity only come into play when you're looking at winning the pot by everyone folding when you bet? I take it you're not looking at any increase you get in pot equity when you get some but not all players to fold.

[Carmine]

[ QUOTE ]
So does folding equity only come into play when you're looking at winning the pot by everyone folding when you bet? I take it you're not looking at any increase you get in pot equity when you get some but not all players to fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

Folding equity does not necessarily mean insta-folds from your opponents. For example you may show strength on the flop (raising/check-raising etc.)to gain folding equity on the turn or even the river. Not all your opponenets need to fold either for a move which gains you folding equity to be correct. At least this is how I define it.

[UATrewqaz]

Any time you bet or raise there is a % chance that everyone left in the pot will fold and thus you win the pot right there.

Sometimes this % is low, sometimes it's high.

Thus when people are discussing fold equity its basically the chance everyone will fold and you'll take it there.

Semi-bluffing is the best idea to illustrate this.

You hold A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

board is T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

You and one opponent, you should bet out at the pot. You currenlty have nothing but there is chance he might fold, in addition if he does not you very well might improve (over cards/flush draw).

[BasketballNYC]

If you put a raise or bet in expecting that not all of your opponents will fold but that some of them will (ex. You are in the SB having flopped top pair and you know the button is going to bet, a check/raise will squeeze out the people in betwen you) then this is really not a measurable fold equity example. This play would certainly increase your pot equity whether or not you have the best hand.

Fold Equity is really meant to be a quantifiable number that adds to the value of your hand. If you have nothing it may be the only value of your hand. As a semi-bluff it adds value to the current pot equity you have based on your draw.