Post by Randy C on Sept 15, 2006 11:23:01 GMT -4
In the last section, I discussed betting to capitalize or maximize your return. In this section, I'll discuss how to bet to obtain information. Now, before I delve into this important topic, I will say that this is easier done at a "live" game because of the physical tells associated with such bets, but there are ways in which you can bet for effective information gathering while you are playing online.
Essentially, there are a couple things that you will need to look out for. When placing a bet. When making a bet pre-flop, be aware of your opponents position. If they are in early position and have made a sizeable bet(generally 2-3 times or more the BB), you can be assured (if they are a solid player) that they are entering the pot with an A with either a Ks or Qs, or a high valued pocket pair. Some risky players will enter the pot with a mid pocket pair, too, but you will often already know who those players are. From mid position you may include K and Qs hands, as well as mid value pocket pairs, and AJ, AT and sometimes Ax from a weak player.
I highly recommend raising if you have a strong hand here. The reason why is to see how strong your opponent is, and I recommend raising 3 times the BB. That should be enough to get anyone who is holding Ax off their hand, because you really want to narrow the field here from this position. Now when the flop comes pay close attention to the texture of the flop. If your opponent checks in this situation, he/she is doing one of 2 things. Either they didn't like the flop, and wants to see how powerful you are, or they are laying a trap for a check-raise. If you make a bet here, do so by about a third of the existing pot. This should be enough to make your opponenet wary (if they didn't like the flop). If the opponent raises, then you have to look at the flop and assess what your opponent might reasonably have. I have often found in this situation that the opponent has either caught a set, or is holding pocket aces. That simple!
The turn is your most important information gathering spot of the entire commuinty cards. If the hand gets to this point, you oughta be holding a decent hand because a bluff at this stage is like giving your chips away. I like to pay attention to the turn card. If there is NO WAY that this card halped my opponent, and I am last to act, I will always be prepared to rase here if I think my hand is a winner. If my opponent makes a small bet here....RAISE...and raise a good amount, too! If your opponent comes over the top...You better figure the player on a set at very least, or if the flop looked like it could have set up a flush or straight draw, and the turn matches, then you should put your opponent on that flush or straight, because if they are willing to reraise you 2 times during this round, there is definately something wrong in Smallville!
That turn card makes and breaks more hands than any other, and most people will give up right there if they have not completed their hand and you have made such a sizeable bet. This spot is where an effective betting strategy will help you determine where your opponent stands. If they are indeed on a draw, a sizeable bet should take them off of it. I'll explain that further.
Now, let's say that you believe that your opponent is on a draw, either a flush or straight draw. If you suspect that, then here is an easy way to detect it using pot odds/hand odds. You must make it non-profitable for your opponent to call here. If you suspect a flush draw, that is 9 outs, right? OK...let's say there is $500 in the main pot and your opponent has bet $100, that makes the pot $600. Your opponent has a 4.1 to 1 ratio that he will catch his card if you bet half of the pot which is $300 that makes the pot $900, that is 3 to 1 pot ratio which is enough for most people to get off the draw. If your opponent calls here then the likeliehood is that they DO NOT have a flush or straight draw, and they must have some made hand already. At least you have to assume that...Because only a neophyte will call with a flush draw there.
The logic behind the above is that the size of the bet is 3 to 1 which is greater than the odds of the opponent hitting their draw. This makes the call unprofitable and would warrant a fold on their part.
Betting to obtain information is an artform really...You tend to get better with it as time goes by and you gain more experience. During my betting, I like to "put" my opponents on a likely hand, and as you gain more experience, you'll find you are right more and more of the time. Truly, the key to betting when seeking to obtain information is 3 things...Pay attention to your opponents betting patterns, pay attention to the flops, and learn the intrinsic value of hand odds and pot odds!
If you successfully do those 3 things above, obtaining information will come to you easier than learning how to ride a bicycle.
All In,
Randy C -
Essentially, there are a couple things that you will need to look out for. When placing a bet. When making a bet pre-flop, be aware of your opponents position. If they are in early position and have made a sizeable bet(generally 2-3 times or more the BB), you can be assured (if they are a solid player) that they are entering the pot with an A with either a Ks or Qs, or a high valued pocket pair. Some risky players will enter the pot with a mid pocket pair, too, but you will often already know who those players are. From mid position you may include K and Qs hands, as well as mid value pocket pairs, and AJ, AT and sometimes Ax from a weak player.
I highly recommend raising if you have a strong hand here. The reason why is to see how strong your opponent is, and I recommend raising 3 times the BB. That should be enough to get anyone who is holding Ax off their hand, because you really want to narrow the field here from this position. Now when the flop comes pay close attention to the texture of the flop. If your opponent checks in this situation, he/she is doing one of 2 things. Either they didn't like the flop, and wants to see how powerful you are, or they are laying a trap for a check-raise. If you make a bet here, do so by about a third of the existing pot. This should be enough to make your opponenet wary (if they didn't like the flop). If the opponent raises, then you have to look at the flop and assess what your opponent might reasonably have. I have often found in this situation that the opponent has either caught a set, or is holding pocket aces. That simple!
The turn is your most important information gathering spot of the entire commuinty cards. If the hand gets to this point, you oughta be holding a decent hand because a bluff at this stage is like giving your chips away. I like to pay attention to the turn card. If there is NO WAY that this card halped my opponent, and I am last to act, I will always be prepared to rase here if I think my hand is a winner. If my opponent makes a small bet here....RAISE...and raise a good amount, too! If your opponent comes over the top...You better figure the player on a set at very least, or if the flop looked like it could have set up a flush or straight draw, and the turn matches, then you should put your opponent on that flush or straight, because if they are willing to reraise you 2 times during this round, there is definately something wrong in Smallville!
That turn card makes and breaks more hands than any other, and most people will give up right there if they have not completed their hand and you have made such a sizeable bet. This spot is where an effective betting strategy will help you determine where your opponent stands. If they are indeed on a draw, a sizeable bet should take them off of it. I'll explain that further.
Now, let's say that you believe that your opponent is on a draw, either a flush or straight draw. If you suspect that, then here is an easy way to detect it using pot odds/hand odds. You must make it non-profitable for your opponent to call here. If you suspect a flush draw, that is 9 outs, right? OK...let's say there is $500 in the main pot and your opponent has bet $100, that makes the pot $600. Your opponent has a 4.1 to 1 ratio that he will catch his card if you bet half of the pot which is $300 that makes the pot $900, that is 3 to 1 pot ratio which is enough for most people to get off the draw. If your opponent calls here then the likeliehood is that they DO NOT have a flush or straight draw, and they must have some made hand already. At least you have to assume that...Because only a neophyte will call with a flush draw there.
The logic behind the above is that the size of the bet is 3 to 1 which is greater than the odds of the opponent hitting their draw. This makes the call unprofitable and would warrant a fold on their part.
Betting to obtain information is an artform really...You tend to get better with it as time goes by and you gain more experience. During my betting, I like to "put" my opponents on a likely hand, and as you gain more experience, you'll find you are right more and more of the time. Truly, the key to betting when seeking to obtain information is 3 things...Pay attention to your opponents betting patterns, pay attention to the flops, and learn the intrinsic value of hand odds and pot odds!
If you successfully do those 3 things above, obtaining information will come to you easier than learning how to ride a bicycle.
All In,
Randy C -