Guys, you're missing the big picture here. Everyone is right in their own way. Your goal is to get as much money from your opponent as they're willing to put in at a given time through the best current method. That could be value or heavy bets. Your opponent is not the only one controlling their psychology and willingness to pay the pot from hand to hand however. YOU ARE as well.

Your goal is therefore to tilt your opponent from hand to hand through mixing it up just right. Keep them off balance. If you consistently drop the hammer on a good hand or a bluff, then you're going to start to get called mostly when your opponent is really strong, and you'll miss out on a TON of value opportunities while getting shanked on a few big pots. If you only ever value bet good hands, then you'll miss out on the times your opponent is willing to go deep, while pricing your opponent into drawing hands.

Your REAL goal is cause your opponent to make consistent mistakes over a long period of time. Sticking to one method is far from optimal in that regard against a thinking opponent. They will gather a read and dry up your action based on a pattern. Fluctuation and tight reads are the real key. First you must learn to have tight reads, and then start shifting and swaying. Be unstable. Sieze any opportunity you can to look unnatural without making mistakes yourself (such as pricing in a draw). It has the effect of making your opponent feel there's no method to the madness, and they make mistakes in the neverending quest to figure you out. Just stay one step ahead of them and you'll own them all day long.

Inevitably, it is that time when you drop the hammer that becomes the reward, but a lot of things had influence on that outcome. An example would be that your opponent feels you would have value bet a winning hand instead of appearing to buy the pot. So I ask.. what made them think that?

The truth is if you go on a table and make it a stack game it will work against a lot of stupid opponents. You could do this and make good money. Some of you probably do. Are you oblivious to the one or two thinking opponents at the table however, and how you can exploit the thinker as well? These players will never pay off your hammer drop without something very special that usually beats you. Just remember not to create bad habits now, for when you sit at a table full of excellent players later.