Bet size trick

betgo · #1 10-18-2005, 09:34 AM

On Stars and some other sites you can type in the bet amount. By typing in an odd amount, it can look like an allin. I sometimes fall for this and call a preflop raise, thinking I have pot odds to call an allin. Sometimes, I think people do this purposely with big hands.

I just made this mistake in a turbo supersatellite. I thought I was getting 3-1 on my money in the BB and winning the hand would pretty much give me a seat, so I called with K5o. Then I realized villain had me covered, so I pushed the flop, figuring I was pot committed. Villain had AJ and busted me. I can't believe he wanted to be called in this situation. Maybe he thought it was cute to make odd sized bets.

Blinds were 1000/2000/100 and villain raises to 4973 or something.

I am a little annoyed I busted this way. I wouldn't have called if I realized villain had additional chips. I had almost an even chance of winning a seat if I folded.

Exitonly · #2 10-18-2005, 09:48 AM

phew! thought i was the only one that fell for that.

Happened to me atleast 3 times before, i'm like Hmmm QT but his push is so small.. sure lets go.

Then i see it's my action on the flop, and i bug out, and then see oh wait, he's chipleader and has me covered by 3x and i just donked off X amoutn of chips.

betgo · #3 10-18-2005, 10:18 AM

Yeh, I think they really shouldn't allow you to type in an amount. Too many features.

It might be exploitable as a tell that someone has a big hand.

Exitonly · #4 10-18-2005, 10:20 AM

nah i type in all my bet amounts, it's way easier. I (we) just gotta pay more attention.

Superfluous Man · #5 10-18-2005, 10:39 AM

[ QUOTE ]
phew! thought i was the only one that fell for that.

[/ QUOTE ]
I feel your pain, I fell for this exactly once. I called with 94o from the BB thinking I was getting like 3:1 to bust someone. Standard. Flop comes 544. "Sweet, I'm totally going to bust this chump!" What's not standard is that there was no turn. And I couldn't see his hole cards. "Where's the damn turn?" I kept thinking, until I noticed 'stars beeping at me.

"What are these fold/check/bet buttons doing here?"

"Oh, he has me me covered. Sweet."

I bet, he jams, I call and double through his KK and get berated in the chatbox. So, actually I guess I don't feel your pain. But if it's any consolation, this being 'stars, I probably found some less memorable way to donk off my chips later on.

37offsuit · #6 10-18-2005, 12:13 PM

I use this a different way. I'll bet odd amounts after the flop to save chips. Basically, say I'm going to bet t1000 after the flop. If I bet T919, the pile of chips looks a lot more daunting to call than one 1000 chip. Some people probably assume I pushed and if they're multitabling, might autofold to a reasonable bet they might have called. Someone with a draw might figure they don't have any implied odds because I'm all in, etc.

SumZero · #7 10-18-2005, 01:05 PM

The other trick I sometimes see but don't use is someone who goes all-in minus their last 5 chips or last chip and then pushes the last 5 chips or last chip on the next street. I've twice seen someone at the table fold to that bet. And this is either collusion or, as I suspect more likely, someone multitabling/not paying attention who thinks hm, I missed that flop I'll click check/fold who then folds to the stupidly small bet.

SL__72 · #8 10-18-2005, 01:12 PM

A few times I've made massive overbets due to this feature. Like I try and bet 80 into a pot of 120 and end up betting 820 (accidently hit the 2 and 0 together).

Actually I've done that twice and once everyone folded and the other time some dude called and busted when he couldn't beat my top pair...

betgo · #9 10-18-2005, 01:19 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I use this a different way. I'll bet odd amounts after the flop to save chips. Basically, say I'm going to bet t1000 after the flop. If I bet T919, the pile of chips looks a lot more daunting to call than one 1000 chip. Some people probably assume I pushed and if they're multitabling, might autofold to a reasonable bet they might have called. Someone with a draw might figure they don't have any implied odds because I'm all in, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

That may have been what the guy who raised to 4978 with AJ in the supersatellite was doing. He thought all the chips would discourage a call, but it had the opposite effect of making me think I had a pot odds call in the BB.

#10 10-18-2005, 01:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The other trick I sometimes see but don't use is someone who goes all-in minus their last 5 chips or last chip and then pushes the last 5 chips or last chip on the next street. I've twice seen someone at the table fold to that bet. And this is either collusion or, as I suspect more likely, someone multitabling/not paying attention who thinks hm, I missed that flop I'll click check/fold who then folds to the stupidly small bet.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is just a weird time in which a person who thinks a non-all-in looks scarier than an all in and a person who knows nothing about pot odds come together and play a totally screwy pot.