Value of the minimum bet?

**G_The_Jester** · 06-28-2006

I always feel weak when making a minimum bet (and probably am) but have had some success with it (I am talking low stake no limit hold em).

Normally the success has come from showing strength early on in the hand but the hand has turned sour showing straights, flushes, and paired board etc, whilst only holding any pair for instance. Normally it also comes from a stop .. go situation from myself.

I generally have a tight image on the table, and am first to act.

Whilst having had an opponent call my pre flop raise and continuation bet checking through the turn and minimum betting the river I generally get the following reaction:

1. Opponent folds - believe me it happens
2. Opponent calls - (but have stopped the river raise off that would have happened if I check and gives me a chance to have the best hand cheaply)
3. Opponent raises at which point it has cost me relatively nothing hoping for the previous two outcomes

Is it worth playing on the weak is strong theory or is there no place for the minimum bet?

**Jason75** · 06-28-2006

This is what Marm calls "power checking" . . . . do a search on it.

Some fairly good discussion.

I don't use it very often, perhaps I should . . .

**G_The_Jester** · 06-28-2006

Originally Posted by Jason75

This is what Marm calls "power checking" . . . . do a search on it.

Some fairly good discussion.

I don't use it very often, perhaps I should . . .

Cheers Jason I'll do that, does it work at higher stakes?

**Marm** · 06-28-2006

Against Unknown players, in normal sized pots, I don't see a real use for it. If you are goign to bet a little to induce, then bet some more to look even weaker. Ex, 300tc pot. you bet 30 into this (without having a read yet) this kinda bothers me. But if you bet like 90-120 into this pot, I'm usually seeing this as "I'm really weak, but I don't want to check, so I gotta make a weak ass stab at this pot". I usually call down min bettors if I have anything worthwhile just to figured out what that means. Maybe you can min bet to stop a bet/raise behind you, but you need to find the right player to do this on.

**PowerfulRog** · 06-28-2006

Min betting is for pussies.

"I'm really weak, but I don't want to check, so I gotta make a weak ass stab at this pot"

Pretty much. I'll call min bets down with anything worthwhile just like marm said.

**WotaWaster** · 06-28-2006

Where I play I see a lot of players make the minimum bet on a flop.

It does sometimes take the pot.
For example if you have TJ of hearts and the flop comes down A 7 3 with no hearts you will probably fold even to a minimum bet and someone with perhaps 89 has bluffed you of a $12 pot with a $2 bet.

If you call they almost always bet pot on turn. If your hand is reasonably strong you will raise, obviously you may be slowplaying a monster but I guess this is far less common.

If you raise - they fold. Cheaply they have found out you like your hand.

I don't like min betting but guess these players find it effective. Obviously not against me anymore since I always raise their min bets if everyone else is out as I know what it means.

**poettic1** · 06-28-2006

personally i love it alot. rog and marm prove why value betting is effective. betting 120 into a 1000 pot rarely will an opponent fold. where as if you raise to much they do. take your extra 120 show you have a hand everyonce in a while and be happy. the value bet is designed to get players to sweeten a pot that they know or think they are beat in.

online the min bet is hot against ppl who use "in turn" buttons. find the players that use these and target them.

against very aggressive players the min bet is hot in that normally they decide to attack you, sit back and take down their stack.

it's all about the opponents

**PowerfulRog** · 06-28-2006

Of course I will call getting 45000000:1.

**the alex** · 06-28-2006

Originally Posted by PowerfulRog

Of course I will call getting 45000000:1.

BINGO!!!

And when you want to keep people around, it's because you have a big hand. Build the pot and commit your opponents to it.

**tightagressive** · 06-28-2006

Originally Posted by poettic1

personally i love it alot. rog and marm prove why value betting is effective. betting 120 into a 1000 pot rarely will an opponent fold. where as if you raise to much they do.

in the long run betting more makes more money than making stupid minbets

this has been discussed and proven in both of the recent books ive read

nl holdem throry and practice, and HoH III

the only time i will bet fairly small would be as a blocking bet, and it would probably be 1/4 to 1/2 of the pot. if im actually value betting, i will bet the ammount that will make the most money in the long run (VERY good discussion on this in sklanskys new book)

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