There are 4 reasons for betting :
- To thin the field
- To take control of a hand
- To raise for value
- To get others to fold
I see people bet at the table and achieve none of the above. When 5 people limp into a pot a min raise from the big blind will just get 5 callers and a bigger pot, it is just horrible play.
Raise 3x and add one x for each caller, if you are 3 betting make it at least 2.5 x the original raise in position and 3.5x out of position. You always want to raise more out of position as 2 out of 3 times you will miss the flop and it compensates for the positional disadvantage you will face.
Even Daniel Negreanu get’s it wrong sometimes, his bet on the turn is just horrible.
Check Doug Polk’s videos on YouTube his hand analysis is spot on.
Some more analysis from Doug Polk, notice that even Fedor can’t bluff a guy off an ace!