Doug Polk uses 5 bet sizes when playing online based on percentage of the pot
29% 42% 56% 74% and All in
I open for 2-2.5 x for all hands pretty much from all positions adding 1BB for each limper.
Phil Gordon suggested that you opened 3.5 x under the gun, 3x from mid-position and 2-2.5 x from late position. The idea was that from early position you had a better hand and wanted to avoid multiple callers. On the button you want to be able to steal with a large range of hands. The game has moved on and 3.5 X opens are considered unnecessarily expensive, the modern game is 2-2.5x which means that playing from the blinds effectively is now a key part of the game.
There does also seem to be a move to 1/3rd pot bets even on wet boards, something I’m not so sure about, I stick with 75-80%
You want to:
- Bluff as cheaply as possible
- Get as much value as possible from the RANGE of hands you may be facing
- Avoid difficult decisions
If you always bet small when bluffing and big when you have it, you will soon become exploitable. This is where game theory optimal play needs to be considered, mix it up so that no one knows what your bets mean as they are balanced.