POT ODDS /??

I have question about pot odds.

My friend says I should bet less or just call when on a draw, yet I hear others say you should pump up the pot while holding a flush& straight draw to make the implied odds higher. My way of thinking is not to bet if you dont have a made hand, then if made pound it.

Also, I get confused about betting with say TPTK. I've heard some say to price out the pot and bet high to make those drawing fold. Yet I've heard some say not to make the pot too big and increase the pot odds that would allow the drawers the right odds to keep drawing.
I usually try to bet the drawers off their hands.

I am missing something here?

There is more than pot odds, for any decient hand you want more than a limped in 3bb pot. If I have a hand or a draw (and often with nothing) I will bet 3bb into a 3bb pot simply beacuse:

(a) I might take the pot down with my draw/nothing
(b) If I hit my draw, I'll be able to make much much more on it.
(c) If they are used to seeing me bet on the flop very often, I will get paid off when I have a good hand more often.

The problem with this is that if you do not have posistion, then your in a lot of pain on the turn if you miss...

So I mostly do this either in posistion or against weak players...

Personally, I like to make hte pots big even if I only have TPGK... This is where reading and knowing your opponent is critical... If your playing someone that will call down almost any bet with a draw, bet it up, win a 40bb pot instead of a 10bb pot...

I hate playing in a small pot ;)

Monty,

You have a lot to learn and it probably won't be covered in just this post.

I would read Theory Of Poker by david slanksky to understand Pot odds, reverse pot odds, implied odds ect...

I was in the dark about all the mathamatics behind the play before I read this book and it really helped my game.

Good luck..

Ok this is the 6 max forum so lets assume were playing a 6 max table.
If i flop some good looking draws i want to bet (im not killing my odds it just tells my opps a lot if i check my hand in any position) therefore not only does betting look 'normal' to my opp it also partially disguises my hand.
If your friend is recommending you just call down on a draw then any half awake opp is going to put you on the drawing hand (if its me and i see you drawing like this a few times im going to start over-jamming a few pots not only to kill your odds but to make a statement that i can read your hands when you play like this)
With tpgk or something similar you are looking often to take the pot down quickly. In this sense you can also play to let weaker hands stay in the pot or to induce some betting ffrom weaker hands (check raise opp here for example) so long as the flop is relativly safe or you have a good read on your opps cards.
While betting every draw is probably a mistake as is just calling down with any draw then pumping out big bets when you hit, it does allow you options to bluff scare cards. Personally i sometimes bet out and sometimes call or even reraise on the odd occasion just to make it difficult to put me on cards. This is especially importnat imo to playing 6 max where bluffing and repping are a little more importnat than in full ring.