Pros and Cons of Betting/Raising to "Gain Information"

[4_2_it]

I have seen several responses over the last week advocating making bets/raises to "gain information". I want to hear from some the residents here when you think are the pros and cons and why. Hint: Please be sure to include the type of villain you would or would not use this strategy.

I will post my thoughts as the thread develops, but I want it to start on a clean slate. I purposefully avoided posting any specific hands because I want a serious SSNL theory discussion to occur. If you think a posting a hand demonstrates your point, feel free to do so.

[theweatherman]

Raising for the specific reason to gain information seems ridiculous to me. If I'm betting a hand for value/semi-bluffing/bluffing and I get raised then that is my information. A three bet only for information is wrong, your three bet should be a continuation of your betting for value/semi-bluffing/bluffing.

[meleader2]

what i'm about to say is kind of low content, but the relevance for betting/raising for information i think really only applies to deep stacked/same stacked opponents. if you're doing this against a low stack, i think it's a huge mistake. only because if he then pushes, it won't be much more to call, you'll call, and most likely your hand won't be good. by short stacked i'm talking 10-40 bbs. thoughts?

[tytygoodnuts]

I like making half pot sized continuation bets and small probe bets when no one has shown any aggressive post flop, but that is about it for me as far as betting to gain info. Raising for information in no limit is just too expensive.

[lautzutao]

I think raising for information is a pretty horrible idea. If you "raise for information" and get pushed on, what does that tell you? If he calls what does that tell you? If he folds...well then you're not raising for information are you[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

There are a few situations I might do it in a LIMIT game against a new opponent at my table, but I have to imagine raising to "find out where you're at" or for pure info is just way too expensive over time in a bigbet game.

Theory of poker says it best on page 131...

"...consider any information gained as an extra benefit of a raise you are making for other reasons."

[yvesaint]

i have never bet/raised solely to "gain information"

i will bet/raise if i

- think i can move villain off a hand
- think i have the best hand
- do not want to give odds to people behind me

if i'm raised after that, i will use that response to put villain on a range of hands, and act accordingly, but i will not bet/raise solely to "gain information", which i find to be the most retarded statement/reason for betting/raising ever

[xorbie]

[ QUOTE ]
I have seen several responses over the last week advocating making bets/raises to "gain information". I want to hear from some the residents here when you think are the pros and cons and why. Hint: Please be sure to include the type of villain you would or would not use this strategy.

I will post my thoughts as the thread develops, but I want it to start on a clean slate. I purposefully avoided posting any specific hands because I want a serious SSNL theory discussion to occur. If you think a posting a hand demonstrates your point, feel free to do so.

[/ QUOTE ]

I swear I was about to start a thread just like this. I think people waaaay overuse this phrase. Betting for information sounds a lot more like letting villain outplay you 100% of the time.

[xorbie]

Also OT but I assume your location explains some of the hands I played against you the other day :-/.

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
I swear I was about to start a thread just like this. I think people waaaay overuse this phrase. Betting for information sounds a lot more like letting villain outplay you 100% of the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

This made me laugh. Its usually more like "betting to give information".

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]
Also OT but I assume your location explains some of the hands I played against you the other day :-/.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yea, I was getting bored in that rock garden and u were the only one willing to give any action. After u left I got HU with the rock directly across from me and made up most of what I donated to you.

edit - though you did pwn me with QQ, I thought for sure you were just bullying with overs. I think that hand got me the action I needed with rock boy later. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]