Betting Strategy

[Nonameo]

Hey guys.

I've been playing at pacific poker and i seem to do ok on the limit tables but when it comes to the no-limit tables i just can't seem to get paid off.

In limit, i think because there is a limit to how much can be bet, players are more eager to call my bets and i get paid off. But with no-limit, i can't seem to get paid off and my bankroll is slowly crumbling.

Does anybody have a good strategy for betting in no-limit?

I've been experiementing with betting very timidly to give the impression of weakness so my opponents bet into me and i call (rather than raise) so they think i'm limping in. it seems to be working so far, but i havent been trying it for very long.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

-Nonameo-

[MiJ]

read Rentons strat guide in the beginners digest

I've been experiementing with betting very timidly to give the impression of weakness so my opponents bet into me and i call (rather than raise) so they think i'm limping in. it seems to be working so far, but i havent been trying it for very long.

i dont get this , and it sounds horrible , ...examples please?

welcome to the forum BTW.

[swiggidy]

Welcome.

Post HH, read others HH. It could just be variance.

[Pelion]

I think a good rule of thumb when you first start is to make your bets around 3/4 pot size and your raises 3x whatever the bet before you was.

Obviously you can start to adjust this once you have a bit of experience. Betting timidly isnt going to help you. The number 1 mistake at low stakes is calling too much. That means you make money by betting your good hands and not your bad ones. If you really are struggling to get paid off then think about why. Do you bet more with your very strong hands? do you slowplay them too much? blah blah ? ? ?

If people really are just folding all the time then you obviously need to adapt by stealing alot more BUT I highly your games are too tight to be beaten with solid value betting. If they are then you probably need to drop down in stakes.

[martindcx1e]

welcome to ftr. play aggressive and never look back. trust me and everyone else here.

[Chopper]

welcome to the forum. hope you find the others advice useful; i know i have.

i have no idea what limits you play, so i will assume 25 NL, maybe 50.

to address the "betting strategy"...
1) pre-flop raises should be the same the vast majority of the time. 3-4X to start, then add 1X for each limper in the pot ahead of you. sometimes on a friday/saturday night you need to start with 5-6X to be taken seriously.
2) flop bets and later streets, whether you hit or miss, need to be around 3/4 to a full pot-sized bet, when you decide to bet. you need to charge the guys that chase their draws big time.
3) dont be afraid to fire 2 barrels with AK when you miss and the board is ragged.
4) take a reraise VERY seriously. if you bet the pot and get raised 3X your raise...look out. even maniacs have a solid hand most times.

bottom line...there are still enough idiots at pacific to pay off your good hands most of the time. dont mess with "playing the player" at lower stakes. just dont make mistakes yourself. (ie raising QTs oop, and playing it overly aggressive post flop with the T) there is no shame in folding a hand when you get a bad feeling. you will more than make up for it when you hit a monster and the bullies try to push YOU off a hand.

WHEN YOU GET IT, BET IT. WHEN YOU DONT FOLD
it really is that simple at the lower stakes.

[Chopper]

sorry, one more thing to add about "soft-betting."

be careful. not great long-term. i can be effective if your opponent is constantly betting into you, but as a general strategy...

it is a great way to get sucked out on.

[Sheetah]

play aggressive and never look back. trust me and everyone else here.

Enough said.
Welcome to FTR

[Elexshun]

1. Sir, I must say it takes a while to get comfortable in the transition from limit to no limit. By playing limit you get sort of this mechanical mindset. Take more time to think about what people could have and how much you should bet etc. in no limit.

2. Sir, post a couple of hands that left you particularly disgruntled so that myself and others may disect your play and offer alternative avenues of approach.

[Chopper]

1. Sir, I must say it takes a while to get comfortable in the transition from limit to no limit. By playing limit you get sort of this mechanical mindset. Take more time to think about what people could have and how much you should bet etc. in no limit.

i cut my teeth on NL. so, for me, it was the opposite.

[Nonameo]

Thanks for all the advice guys. There seems to be a lot of really good players at this forum and i feel honoured to be amongst you all.

I did a bit of research on no-limit betting and i've put it into action right away.

I've been betting between 3x - 5x the big blind when raising pre-flop and betting between 50% - 100% of the pot after the flop and beyond.

It seems to be working well for me so far, of course it's impossible to tell if it will stay like this as it has only been a few days.

Pelion said: I think a good rule of thumb when you first start is to make your bets around 3/4 pot size

This fits in perfectly with the strategy i've been using so hopefully i'm on the right track.

Also i've been trying to be more agressive, and realised how "tight-passive" i used to play.

I have read that making larger bets gives the people with drawing hands bad pot odds and might make most drawing hands fold, thus the risk of being beaten by a player who caught his flush is decreased significantly.

Thanks everyone for the advice and i think there is a whole world of information on these forums that i hope will raise my game to the next level. I have every faith it will.

Thanks again

-Nonameo-

[Chopper]

Thanks for all the advice guys. There seems to be a lot of really good players at this forum and i feel honoured to be amongst you all.

I did a bit of research on no-limit betting and i've put it into action right away.

I've been betting between 3x - 5x the big blind when raising pre-flop and betting between 50% - 100% of the pot after the flop and beyond.

It seems to be working well for me so far, of course it's impossible to tell if it will stay like this as it has only been a few days.

Pelion said: I think a good rule of thumb when you first start is to make your bets around 3/4 pot size

This fits in perfectly with the strategy i've been using so hopefully i'm on the right track.

Also i've been trying to be more agressive, and realised how "tight-passive" i used to play.

I have read that making larger bets gives the people with drawing hands bad pot odds and might make most drawing hands fold, thus the risk of being beaten by a player who caught his flush is decreased significantly.

Thanks everyone for the advice and i think there is a whole world of information on these forums that i hope will raise my game to the next level. I have every faith it will.

Thanks again

-Nonameo-

if i may add one thing that helped me out a lot...

you can disguise the "intentions" of your bets by always making them the same. say you hit TPTK on the flop with AK, but there is a flush draw, too. if you are comfortable with a 3/4 pot bet...bet that (just make sure it takes away the odds to draw). say you have a flush draw on the flop, and you want to "build a pot" bet the same 3/4 pot (if you decide to bet it at all). by always making a 3/4 pot sized bet, you make it tougher to tell if you are betting a draw or if you hit top pair/set. try to use this while you are cutting your teeth in NL and it will take a variable out of your thought process, allowing you to think more about the other players.

later on, you may start screwing around with your bet sizes as another form of deception, but for now, keep them the same. it sure helped me get out of my insecurities in NL, and hopefully it will do the same for you, too.

good luck!!

ps. welcome to FTR

[Gross]

How many of us who play free poker online are careful of not indulging ourselves in alcoholic beverages prior to playing the game? I think not many, as we tend to think that this game is played for mere fun, it is still acceptable when one is playing with the friends for low stakes but when it comes to serious stuffs one needs to be very careful about this, playing drunk means that most likely one is to make silly mistakes and just make a mockery of the entire game. So watch out for this, and play sensibly.


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[IowaSkinsFan]

welcome to ftr. play aggressive and never look back. trust me and everyone else here.

That is horrible advice, there are a lot of people on this forum who give bad advice. What you need to do is figure out who the good ones are and listen to them.

[sejje]

welcome to ftr. play aggressive and never look back. trust me and everyone else here.

That is horrible advice, there are a lot of people on this forum who give bad advice. What you need to do is figure out who the good ones are and listen to them.

I don't think it's horrible, but I don't agree either. There are plenty of winning styles. I think most people take being aggressive out of context. It doesn't mean raise it up with 49s, it means bet when you play, unless you have a specific reason not to, i.e. a read.