When do you come over the top of weak bets as a bluff?

I was reading a post by danutzinyoeye a minute ago and he reminded me of a gray area in poker for me. When I am unsure if my holdings are the best, I tend to make smaller bets on the river which I am always afraid will induce someone to come over the top as a complete bluff. Does anyone here consider themselves good at smelling weakness and routinely come over the top of weak bets?

I am always afraid that a small bet could be someone trying to squeeze the most money possible out of made hands and that when I try to come back at someone with a big bet Im just gonna get the nuts in my eye.

I guess you could tell me to quit being a pussy, but I would really like to avoid taking big shits all over my hard earned money. At the same time, I think that if I could get somewhat decent at this, I could increase my win rate significantly.

And Im not just talking about betting into blank flops after raising PF - I mean really stealing pots from weak bets.

Interesting timing...I just posted something asking some of those same questions (and searching for answers along the same lines, even if the questions were in between them).

I don't think there's much you can do except watching the table carefully and see how they react to somebody pushing over the top of their small river bets. Or when you actually have the nuts and do it. If they fold to pressure then attack them. If they're showing the nuts make a note of that too.

If it's worth anything, most good players know not to bet marginal hands on the river, so I'd be wary of raising anyone other than a fish on the river in most cases.

I would have to be holding something, at least a pair, to go over the top of a river bet unless I know for a fact that my opponent has the ability to fold under pressure. I say "ability" because some players aren't "good" enough to do so, so you need an average passive player who understands the significance of your bet (or what you want him to think it means).

read there bets on the Flop and Turn cause it might give you some info on their goods

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I will only make smaller bets on the river as a blocking bet or as a value bet.

The blocking bet is difficult to do well but when I think I may have the best hand but he has been the aggressor so far, I'll lead out on the river for a decent ammount but nothing that will commit me. If he raises, I'm done. If he just calls, I get a cheaper showdown without a decision.

If someone else is being the aggressor, I will raise any bet that I precieve as weak. Usually on the turn (if the flop bet was weak) where it's more convincing that I have them beat.

-'rilla

Like you mentioned, a Small bet from a good player can be much more intimidating than a large one.. As I know when I hold a pat hand, my goal isn't to push the rest of the field out.

I move in usually when I feel someone is testing the waters with a super quick, early posotion raise post flop, or post flop when the board is checked all the way around and a medicore, I want you all to fold raise comes from the last posotion..

Although usually I have an out, such as i'm on a flush draw, ect..

in live games... when you have reads on people, see a nervous twitch...

I rarely like to re-bluff people online because sometimes you just can't tell.