A conjecture for discussion

[TRBNGR]

Always performing the same action in any given situation in poker is sub-optimal.

[WhiteWolf]

This statement is both obviously true, and so general as to be useless. Sorry.

[Jazza]

Um, I don't think this is true:

You've got the nuts on the river and it's checked to you, you always bet right?

[TRBNGR]

Suppose your playing a LAG, since you always bet with the nuts he can fold safely, where a check may have induced a bluff. (fwiw Im not disputing that the lion share of the time you would indeed bet).

[WhiteWolf]

[ QUOTE ]
Um, I don't think this is true:

You've got the nuts on the river and it's checked to you, you always bet right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Like all overly-general statements, there are exceptions [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Jazza]

[ QUOTE ]
Isn't that suboptimal since you always do that, he can fold safely. (fwiw Im not disputing that the lion share of the time you would indeed bet).

[/ QUOTE ]

Please tell me on the last round of betting that if some one checks to you heads up you will always bet the nuts

If you don't this makes me sad

Of course betting doesn't tell him you have the nuts, because you should be betting hands that aren't the nuts a lot of the times

[pzhon]

[ QUOTE ]
Always performing the same action in any given situation in poker is sub-optimal.

[/ QUOTE ]
Wrong. For example, there are some hands you should fold preflop every time. Even if you want to call or raise with T8 in MP1 to make it harder for your opponents to be sure of what you have, you should be playing T8s rather than T8o. Unless you will play T8 more than 1/4 of the time, fold T8o every time.

[JaysonWeberFCP]

Umm... Thanks for teaching us Poker 101... Next.

[SpeakEasy]

[ QUOTE ]
Always performing the same action in any given situation in poker is sub-optimal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not true in terms of betting mechanics. Your turn to act: if you take the same amount of time, keep the same stoic expression, count out your bet the same way, place your bet into the middle the same way, you minimize tells and you are harder to read.

Many live players at my tables get a D or F for this area of play, and they are much easier to read in terms of relative hand strength.

Even among the pros on TV, only Chris Ferguson gets an A+ for this area of play. Despite what Hellmuth says, Ferguson appears to be virtually tell-free.

I realize that you may be talking a wider range of "poker situations" in terms of always betting the same hands the same way, but uniform betting mechanics is ideal.

[defyodds]

uniform betting habits are not ideal. I play in a 20-40 hold em game that is LA on your average night. You have to mix up your game such as 3 betting pocket 55 or 66 in late position sometimes in order to take advantage of the action. I think the key to making a profit is to fold on the flop when you don't believe you can win. Your opponents will give you so much action when you are ahead that when you drag in the huge pots it more that makes up for bad beats and your own over aggresive play. Why play in an action game and play in a way that will kill your action. I win 2 out of three nights and my wins are usually bigger than my losses.