Bet Sizing

Beginners are not the only players to make inappropriate bet sizes. It stands to reason that, because the size of the pot relative to bet and stack sizes forms the foundation of each hand, we should try our best to at least find the right bet sizing range. It is imperative that we make correct bet sizes in order to get the most value from each hand we are involved in, whether this is maximizing gains or minimising losses.

Making weak, smallish bets gives the opposition both favourable odds for drawing hands (indeed decent odds for all sorts of hands to overtake us) and the opportunity, upon sensing our inability to bet more aggressively, to bully us and thus collect what should be our spoils. Betting strongly has the advantage of forcing drawing hands to pay over the odds to continue as well as reminding others that when we bet we mean business.

First, let’s assume that we already follow a general rule pre-flop along the lines of raising 3xBB plus 1xBB for each limper (some players, depending on the action, might opt for 4xBB) so that we don’t give anyone a cheap ticket to see the flop. Also, if we are going to raise someone else’s pre-flop bet, then we should be raising roughly three times their original bet to make their odds unattractive.

Moving on to the flop and beyond, we should always be aware when making a bet of both the size of the pot and relevant stack sizes but, as a rule, in order to optimise our play and thus induce incorrect play from opponents we should be looking to have a minimum bet in mind. In ‘normal’ circumstances – when we think we have the best hand at the table, for instance – we really need to be betting around 3/4 of the pot on the flop. Many players put themselves off betting this much, either not wanting to scare off the opposition or even because they are afraid to bet so big in case they are up against a monster (an awful, negative line of thought!). But this is in fact an optimal bet size as it achieves the two key aims of giving opponents with drawing hands incorrect pot odds and maximising value every time someone calls with a worse hand.

Unless we are absolutely positive that a 3/4-pot bet won’t bring the desired result (of course there will be instances where smaller bets are called for) we should get into the habit of betting strongly rather than giving away pot odds and losing value. Moreover, if we aren’t prepared to bet big we might consider not betting at all. It might feel a little difficult at first if we are instead used to betting 1/3 of the pot, for example, but it won’t take long to appreciate that more appropriately aggressive play is far more effective.

Remember also that big bets garner information (and thus help us better define hand ranges) as the opposition needs a genuine reason to remain in the hand – betting small merely invites all kinds of hands to stay in contention.

To make life so much easier when it comes to bet sizing, take advantage of 32Red‘s very useful Bet Slider tool, a facility that allows us to pre-select bet sizing options so that we don’t have to fiddle about during a hand. This has a massive range of pre-settings to choose from so that we are able to decide precisely the values in the bet boxes that pop up when it is our turn to act. When seated at a table, sort out this excellent tool by clicking on Menu, Options and Bet Slider and, in the Texas Hold’em/Omaha tab, create a new profile.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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Wise Guys Results (3rd – 9th October)

Win at the 32Red Poker cash tables and you may qualify for even more cash rewards with our Wise Guys weekly leaderboards. Yes, we reward our biggest winners at 32Red Poker and we reward them well, with over $1,000 in prizes every week!

Congratulations to last week’s prize winners…

32Red’s Wise Guys

32Red Poker rewards loyalty, and winners – so if you’re a winning player, don’t be shy and try out our Wise Guysweekly competition. Have fun at the tables and good luck this week!

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No Limit: Slowplaying a strong hand

Slowplaying is characterised by checking or calling with a very strong hand, the aim being to lure players who might have folded to aggression into betting themselves, or to tempt players with decent hands into assuming the initiative. Of course when we manage to pull this off the results can be fantastic, and it always seems more of an achievement to win a pot that saw us manipulate an opponent into a big bluff.

However, slowplaying also brings with it an element of risk in that, not only might we end up with less, if the hand sees no more action, than had we bet in the first place and at least extracted a call, but there is also the chance we could come unstuck and lose the pot after giving the opposition the opportunity to overtake us (and usually we will have put more in the pot with our strong hand on the turn and/or river).

Consequently it is important to recognise which situations are more likely to justify slowplaying than others, in order not to get in the habit of giving up security against potentially dangerous hands or simply failing to build the pot against those players who don’t take the bait.

Key factors are the tendencies of the other players, as well as our position in relation to them.

The best scenarios involve proven over-aggressive players and bluffers. If they are sitting behind us (to our left) and we have already seen them betting into unopened pots and generally taking a stab at the slightest hint of passivity, especially when this is followed by more aggression on the turn, then a slowplay is preferable to a bet if we are confident that we are well ahead. In such cases we would check the flop and only call the bet, and then throw in a further check on the turn.

But if there is any doubt we should avoid being too tricky and running the risk of giving a free card, instead electing to check-raise the flop bet/bluff. Note that this particular play tends to succeed in inducing a call from even mediocre hands as many players find it hard to fold in this spot given the pot odds. If we are called we should continue in the same vain with even more aggression on the turn.

We can also use the slowplay to exploit these players when we have position on them. When facing a bet, and confident that we have the best hand, we slowplay by simply calling and thus allowing our opponent to remain in the driving seat, at which point they are more likely to fire again on the turn. Again the correct play is often to just call (perhaps after a pause to add to the air of weakness) so that when the river comes we should be able to extract even more value, this time not forgetting to throw a raise into what will by then be a sizeable pot.

These are just two examples of the slowplay but, as long as we are aware of the dangers and are prudent when the flop is clearly too dangerous to allow free cards and so on (or at least are prepared to get our fingers burnt should we anyway decide a slowplay is a viable option), then this is another weapon we need to incorporate into our ever-expanding armoury.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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No Limit: The Blocking Bet

A feature of a number of sports is a blocking manoeuvre of some kind, and poker is no different. The so-called ‘Blocking Bet’ is a bet made out of position with the aim of preventing an opponent who is in position from betting – as would have happened had we checked. The point is that by taking the initiative we avoid having to deal with the negative implications of facing a bigger bet.

We make a blocking bet with decent but not great hands that may or may not be ahead, in which case we’d like to gain some additional value against weaker hands and engineer some protection when behind. We can make a blocking bet on any street from flop to river.

Of course we will occasionally run into a raise (although this can be a ‘good’ thing, too – see below). Ironically we can’t then be sure if this is due to the strength of the opposition’s hand or because we are up against someone with a good understanding of this concept who consequently senses weakness and raises accordingly.

However, the blocking bet should be a part of our arsenal as there are many situations where it is the best play. This is because checking out of position is rife with awkward problems. For example we might end up calling with the worst hand or, equally unpleasant, we might fold a winning hand. Furthermore, the more wily opponents with marginal hands that we have beaten will not rise to the bait when we check, and instead they will simply check out, thus denying us the value that might well have come our way had they called our bet(s).

We can even use the blocking bet when on a draw in order to avoid having to pay more in the event of what would have been a bigger bet from the opponent. Remember that betting here also gives the opposition an opportunity to fold.

In those cases such as on the river with second pair, for example, a blocking bet could win or ‘save’ us money, depending on what our opponent holds. Let’s say we have QsJs in the Big Blind and are the lone caller of a pre-flop raise from the Button; the flop comes As Qd 2h. We check and call the continuation bet and then both check on seeing the 7s. The river brings the 8c. Here is a good spot for a blocking bet for two reasons. First, with any of JJ, TT, 99, 77 and even 55 our opponent is going to call a modest bet here, thus allowing us to extract value from our pair of queens. Meanwhile, if we are up against an ace it is logical to assume we will be facing a value bet in the form of a raise, in which case folding should prove less expensive than had we instead checked and then called a (bigger) bet.

As with everything else, the blocking bet should be used appropriately and with proper consideration of how it should prove more beneficial than checking. Remember that this is a play we turn to in order to avoid more awkward situations when out of position, which in turn should serve as a reminder that we need to justify playing certain hands out of position in the first place.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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Discipline

The problem with discipline in poker is that we don’t necessarily see the rewards of prudence and common sense when we ‘deserve’ to, as the game as a whole is made up of so many very tiny parts, where even a single hand can be broken down into specific actions and separate results in the form of which cards appear at each street and so on. Read more

Timing Tells

Timing Tells

The more we talk about timing tells – the length of time to make a decision – it seems the less we believe in their possible implications. Nevertheless, it is true that lots of players still don’t give this part of the game any thought and thus continue to click away at a pace that is consistent with their thought process (or lack of) for that particular play.

Of course other players deliberately set out to mislead us by being quick or slow in order to fool us into making an incorrect assumption but, given that we should be thankful for whatever potential tell we can find in online poker, it’s worth at least entertaining what certain timings can mean (if only to also be aware of what some players think we might be thinking…).

One thing we notice is that the stronger players tend to avoid giving anything away by simply maintaining consistent timing regardless of the play itself. This is sound practice and in an ideal world makes for having at least this part of their game unreadable. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds and requires considerable discipline, so another approach is to throw the opposition off the scent by acting the opposite way further down the line. For example after being deep in thought and subsequently winning a couple of showdowns with very strong hands, it makes sense to also take some time over a bluff.

The global online poker community is so big that there will always be players who will always have timing tells. Here are three particularly common ones to look out for. Let’s not be too clever for own good – sometimes what seems to be happening is happening, and when the same players keep doing the same things with the same results it’s safe to assume that they do indeed have these tells and are not instead tricky geniuses.

Think, think, think, then think a bit more before raising

This is very often indicative of a massive hand, for a couple of reasons. Some players genuinely take all this time to work out what to do with their monster – maybe a fear of giving the game away had them contemplating holding back the raise, for example. Others are, ironically, counting out time to appear unsure. Either way – aggression preceded by a long pause is more likely to indicate a strong hand than a bluff.

The insta-raise

While this could be a well prepared bluff, when someone faced with a bet responds immediately with a raise it is likely to be an adrenaline-led reaction. There’s no need to keep up the quick pace – we could well call anyway, but it’s important to at least take the time to properly consider the situation. Often the combination of our cards and the odds to call justify continuing even if we think we are behind, but automatically replying to an insta-raise with a thoughtless insta-call only to then give up the fight on the next street when we realise we don’t have enough is a common and cumulatively costly mistake.

Check followed by an insta-call

This is arguably the biggest and most useful, exploitable tell of all. Unless we are up against an experienced wily character this usually means that our opponent doesn’t have anything special, and is either lazily calling with a poor holding or is on a draw. In the former case the player probably has a habit of calling with not enough – this is both easy to find out and subsequently easy to exploit (note that ‘small’ bluffs don’t work against these players). The same goes for those who are unwilling to invest more than a call (as opposed to a check-raise, for instance) when drawing.

Note that despite my recommendation of the Pocket Card Manager, which allows us to select hands for automatic pre-flop folding, the facility to have these folds played out with random timings is designed with maintaining the flow of the game at a decent pace in mind. Consequently, using this feature means not being able to take the occasional dramatic long pause before folding trash.

Finally, however useful this subject is (and it will always help in discovering certain players’ weaknesses), remember that we could be waiting a long while before seeing a particular play simply because someone was otherwise engaged. It’s amusing to think that whenever we knock our coffee over or are otherwise distracted, the resultant delay is being perceived by other players as a dastardly ploy…

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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Multi-table tournament strategy: The Bubble

Multi-table tournament strategy: The Bubble

An important point to remember as the bubble approaches in multi-table tournaments is that not necessarily everyone has been trying to win. Obviously a good number of our opponents will be on the same quest we are, but many others will be more than satisfied to cash and thus show a profit. It is indeed an achievement to battle through the field to remain standing (or sitting) among the prize winners after a few hours, and this combined with the money is often enough of a goal.

Our mission, on the other hand, is to aim for the top because we should make the most of these opportunities, having gone so deep, to win as much as possible (one biggish win, remember, brings far greater rewards than numerous modest cashes).

Thus it is imperative as the field thins down to the bubble to recognise those players against whom we can exploit this unambitious, safety-first mentality, because at this stage of the tournament we are in a position to accumulate chips at a rate much greater – and easier – than was the case during earlier phases.

Often we are helped in this process by players giving the game away in the chat box with comments along the lines of ‘Not going to risk it after all this time’ after folding (and sometimes showing) a decent hand, or celebrating as someone is eliminated with only a few spots until a prize is guaranteed.

We should try to avoid limping in with speculative holdings such as suited connectors. Unlike the early blind levels when we could afford to see lots of flops with trappy hands, now the idea is to steal vulnerable pots left unprotected by vulnerable players. Limping with someone left to act also means having to fold when it is raised. It’s much better to fold/raise at this stage rather than let unnecessary limps and calls eat away at our chip building gains. That isn’t to say we should automatically fold 7h 8h, for instance, but instead should be applying pressure when appropriate, especially when aggression is anyway more likely to be successful by now. If nobody else has taken a stab at the pot, then we will.

The beauty of stealing around the bubble period is that we can get away with it even though some players might suspect that we are not always raising and betting with the best hands – most players will be unwilling to risk finding out. Note that for our aggression to have the best effect the ideal situation is to have a stack big enough to back up our audacity. A raise from a big stack that can do a great deal of damage to anyone’s prospects is going to get a lot more respect than an all-in from a very short stack and, with this in mind, we should try to anticipate others’ eagerness to survive the bubble beforehand, making an extra effort to better arm ourselves in advance. This also has the advantage that by the time the ‘stealing window’ comes around as the bubble approaches, we will have already sown the seeds of fear into the opposition, which is preferable to suddenly going into raise mode and drawing attention to ourselves in the wrong way.

Meanwhile, although we should avoid getting heavily committed against other dangerous stacks, there’s no need to let those players who are also trying to steal pots muscle in on our action. Of course we should be sensible in the face of aggression but, on our blinds, for example, we should be prepared to fight against thieves. Thus by calling or re-raising from our blinds occasionally we will be able to force good players to back down. They can always pick on someone else, but if this, too, starts to disrupt our own bullying, then it is time – ideally when we have position on them – to step up a gear again to make it seem too much trouble (and expensive), leaving us to carry on as we intended.

The key around the bubble is aggression, taking full advantage of other players’ fear of elimination.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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No Limit: Squeeze Play

No Limit: Squeeze Play

As we become more acquainted with poker strategy we can integrate certain plays into our game, one such being the Squeeze Play. This particularly useful move tends to be overlooked – or rather not recommended by experts – at all but the higher limits because, for it to be effective, the opposition must be thinking about how play develops during a hand.

Nevertheless, while it is true that many players act almost automatically, guided only by their own cards and their connection or otherwise with the board, there is rarely a table nowadays that doesn’t have at least a couple of players used to thinking through possible reasons behind the opposition’s betting.

Consequently, here’s a brief introduction to the Squeeze Play. For a typical scenario let’s assume we are sitting on the Button and Player A puts in a standard pre-flop raise under the gun. Player B calls and we have a decent but not strong hand. Rather than calling/folding we decide to re-raise. The logic here is that, assuming Player A is aware of the common theory that a stronger hand is needed to call than to raise (known as the Gap Concept), then his thought process when it is folded round to him will be as follows:

‘Player B was not afraid to call my raise with the Button (in particular) and the blinds still to act, so he quite likely has a strong holding. Now Player C appears to have a stronger hand still because he has made a point of re-raising. I have a reasonable hand and could call, but what if Player B follows up with another raise and Player C continues to step up the pace. I’m far from committed to this hand, so it’s sensible to get away from it now and live to fight another day…’

As for Player B, he may well have a hand strong enough to justify calling the initial raise but, now that we have thrown our (Button) hat into the ring, we might feel that it doesn’t merit involvement in what could soon become a fully committed pot, especially with the unpleasant prospect of being out of position to the aggressor for the rest of the hand. Thus Player B folds and we pick up the pot uncontested with an average hand. Easy money.

Of course he could raise back at us, in which case the ball is back in our side of the court, while if he calls we have the considerable advantage of position on the subsequent streets.

It is important to remember that bet sizing is key here. We need our re-raise to be big enough to scare them off and make calling out of position seem too expensive, but not so big that we are giving too much away if have to let the hand go. As a guide, raising three or four times the initial raise is fine. Note that in a tournament certain stacks might be committed to the pot even after their initial raise or call, so keep in mind stack sizes in relation to the bets when contemplating a squeeze play.

Obviously this will only be effective if both players appreciate the significance of our raise and the implications of each bet and call and so on. Also, the squeeze play tends to work better against loose aggressive players, especially if we have succeeded in cultivating a tight image so that our raise is taken seriously.

Good luck squeezing!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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Fixed Limit: Fold your way to profit

Fixed Limit: Fold your way to profit

After a few recent adventures in Fixed Limit poker (which is where most people who discovered poker during the early days of the global online explosion had their first experience), I think it’s worth mentioning the importance of folding as a key winning tool.

There is a danger in FL – especially at the lower limits, and even more so for those used to NL – to let the capped betting structure lull you into a false sense of value for money. The price to see more flops, turns and rivers seems so cheap compared to what we might have to pay in NL, so there is a tendency to take marginal and even poor hands further than perhaps we should (in NL, of course, the potential rewards in the shape of effectively ‘limitless’ pots can justify perseverance but, nevertheless, we should probably fold more in NL too).

So chasing long shots, or consciously paying to stay in the hunt with what is unlikely to be the best hand, is generally a poor strategy (this sounds so obvious when you read it out loud). Note that this problem is compounded in a short-handed game. This is why we see sensible players perform way over expectation at the lower levels, as they appreciate that much of the opposition is playing way too loosely – plus the fact that some see this particular format as simply a ‘cheap’ way to learn, have fun and possibly win money, too. There’s just no fun in folding hand after hand, apparently…

Folding is both a fundamental and essential part of good poker. But if we’re looking for fun with insufficient regard to the cost, then this option, which is the first we are given as soon as we see our hole cards, will be a party-pooping unwelcome one. Changing this mindset is imperative. If we follow any reasonable advice regarding starting hands, then folding pre-flop should be a regular ‘decision’ we should find ourselves making. The sooner we interpret folding as a necessary ‘sacrifice’ on the way to having entertainment (in the form of profit) with our stronger hands, the sooner we get used to playing better poker and, in turn, progress kicks in.

Good hands and good opportunities are inevitable and, in time, the combination of patient, improved play and the money saved by avoiding the cumulative losses caused by an indisciplined reluctance to fold poor hands will reap rewards.

Note that I am not advocating folding all but the very best starting hands, rather getting out of the habit of almost automatically limping in with almost anything which, unfortunately, can lead to more trouble on subsequent streets. Fold, follow the game to see who doesn’t, and have fun punishing them.

Good luck (folding) at the tables!

AngusD

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More on Multi-Tabling

We’ve featured multi-tabling before, and while it isn’t for everyone, we all nevertheless try this hectic looking approach at some time. Unfortunately, there’s more to it than most players believe. Indeed the understandable attraction of making more money is about as far as the vast majority get when deciding to drastically change their game. But of course it doesn’t necessarily follow that eight-tabling will result in earning eight times as much money as sitting at only one table (in fact it’s a difficult enough task succeeding in following the action at all on so many tables without actually managing a profit; remember that opening just one additional table is multi-tabling).

While a winning player should definitely try to progress by increasing the number of tables, initially the focus should not be on profit but rather how you feel in different situations. It pays to make notes detailing how this or that aspect of your play is affected by the almost constant requirement to make multiple decisions. For example, when a big hand appears do you feel distracted by your ‘duties’ on the other tables? Do you feel guilty keeping others waiting by timing out here and there in order to give critical situations maximum attention? And with this in mind, are there any players on this ‘critical’ table who are also there at the others to notice this tell? Is it possible – as is the case when playing just the one table – to use the timing of your actions to represent certain types of play? Do you have enough time when trying to follow the action to observe other players?

Money is money, but concentrating on these and other important parts of the game is the key to determining to what extent, if any, multi-tabling is worth the effort, as appreciating the cumulative implications of each individual situation is imperative in the quest to find the most optimal playing conditions.

Good luck at the tables!

AngusD

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