Why we bet
Betting usually accomplishes one of three things:
- get called by worse hands (value betting)
- make better hands fold (bluffing)
- protect our mediocre hands by and collect fold equity (protection betting)
Value betting
A value bet is a bet made by a hand that expects to get called by worse hands.
We can bet our best hands (nuts, strong made hands) for thick value. We can also bet our medium-strength hands that are slightly ahead of the opponent's continuing range for thin value. As long as we expect to get called by worse hands often enough, value betting is a profitable option.
Bluffing
A bluff is a bet made by a hand that expects to get folds from better hands.
We can also bet our draws as semi-bluffs. Draws usually miss, so we benefit when our opponent folds. If we get called, we still have a chance to improve to a nutted hand.
In general, weak hands are very common so we must be careful to avoid bluffing too often. However, we must still have bluffs in our range, otherwise our opponent can know we only have value bets and respond accordingly.
Protection betting
A protection bet is made with a hand that is often ahead now but is vulnerable to being outdrawn. By betting, we can make hands with live equity fold instead of allowing them to see the next card for free.
For example, if we have a weak pair and our opponent has two overcards, by making them fold now they lose the chance to hit their overcards on future streets.
Raising
Just like betting, raising can be done for value or as a bluff. A value raise expects to be called by worse hands, while a bluff raise tries to make better hands fold.
Raises put more money into the pot than calls, so raising ranges are usually stronger and more polarized. Before raising, consider which worse hands can call, which better hands can fold, and how you will respond if your opponent continues.
When to check
Checking is often best when a hand has enough showdown value to win without building a larger pot, but is not strong enough to value bet. Strong hands may also check to ensure our checking range contains strong hands.
Some weak hands must simply give up. Because weak hands are common, bluffing all of them would create far too many bluffs. Choosing some hands to check and fold ensures we have an acceptable value-to-bluff ratio.
Bet sizing basics
Larger bets generally work best with polarized ranges made up of very strong value hands and bluffs. When our range contains more of the strongest possible hands, we can apply more pressure with larger sizes to maximize fold equity with our bluffs and payout with our value hands.
Smaller bets are often useful when our range is ahead overall but either player could plausibly have the nuts. A smaller size allows us to keep more of our opponent's weaker range in the pot while avoiding piling in money against the nuts.
Case study: A72 Rainbow (Turn)
Preflop: BTN opens to 2.5bb, SB folds, BB calls.
Flop: Flop is As7h2d. BB checks, BTN bets 33% pot, BB calls.
Turn: Turn is Kc. BB checks, it is now BTN's turn to act.
- BTN has more nutted hands like AA and AK while BB cannot have those hands as they would have 3-bet preflop. Since BTN can credibly possess the nuts, they polarize their range and bet large for both value and bluffs.
- BTN bets most nuts (AK, 77, 22, A7) and thick value (AQ, AJ) large for value.
- BTN checks back some nuts (AA) to protect their checking range. Solver prefers choosing AA to check back instead of our other nuts because if we have AA it is less likely the opponent has an Ace to call our value bet with. AA blocks the opponent's calling range.
- BTN bluffs with draws (QJ, JT), weak hands with good blockers (J9s, J8s), and some weak pairs (33, T7).
- BTN checks back showdown value hands (55, 66, 88, 99, A5) and junk that has to give up (T6, T8)
Common betting mistakes
Beginners often:
- Always bet their strong hands for value and don't protect their checking range
- Choose bet sizes according to their hand instead of their range
- Severely over-bluff or under-bluff different spots, creating an unbalanced range
- Use absolute hand strength, when instead they should be considering the strength of their hand relative to the opponent's range (for example, top pair becomes weaker when a flush is available)
Whenever you decide to bet, you should be able to answer the question: "Why am I betting?"