The philosophy of the size of the pot - an example

By Tommy Angelo
The first thing you need to do is to assume that he has a hand with which he will be ready to go all-in. Suppose he has a pair of ACEs or AK and formulate our plan on this assumption. Why be so optimistic?

Suppose you find yourself in a part of 2$-5$ with stacks of $ 500. You are in the big blind with:

5 h - 5 s

A player has opened in an intermediate position at $ 20. You call. The flop falls:

KH - 9 h - 5 c

and you flopez a set.

Obviously, you want a big pot. Your goal should be to put your $ 480 remaining in the pot. It will be hard to do if your opponent has raised with Ts - 7 s or 2 h - 2 c. But if there as, AK or even a the flush draw, you will have a good part of his stack.

The first thing you need to do is to assume that he has a hand with which he will be ready to go all-in. Suppose he has a pair of ACEs or AK and formulate our plan on this assumption. Why be so optimistic?

You are so optimistic because the other assumptions are not important. No matter what you do, you get the same result in several situations. If your opponent has a pair of 9 or a pair of Kings, you intended to just lose your money in any way. If it has flopé two pairs, you intended to win all his money, unless it hits cards that can save him. (Note that you will be intended to win or lose a stack given the size of the stacks. If the starting stacks were 10 biggest x $ 5000, your destiny would have been different).

If there a weaker hand, and it is usually not a bluffer, there will be no way for you to make a big pot. If 'ace high', you may have the chance to make a little money if you check the flop and that you let it hit his card. But against most players, you will make more profits, even in this situation. You have only two streets (periods) for $ 480 in a pot that was $ 40. This will require on your part of very big bets and any player with only one pair will be (and rightly) very suspicious of your bet. You will earn only a small pot in the end if the flop is checke.

Against an opponent who is not a habitual bluffer, your decisions will be more significant if your opponent can have 1 hand or only a few hands (sound range): good, but not excellent hands, something like a pair of ACEs, AK, or the flush draw. Your strategy should be built against that range of hands.

The best way to get the most money possible will be that your opponent realized it is beaten until too late. Do not let suspect this fact when there is only $ 200 in the pot and $ 400 behind him. Announce the new when there is $ 500 into the pot and $ 250 behind him. Even if he suspects it is beaten, it will be able to feel committed to the pot (in most cases, it will be right) and it will pay you. So, if you come back a little behind, you need to have more than $ 250 on the River (or about). How should you bet to put the first $ 230 in the pot that is not too suspicious?

In General, the $ 250 is a bet on the turn or river. You could find yourself all-in on the flop, but if this should happen, you wouldn't need to do a lot of planning. This will mean that your opponent also intended to go all-in on the flop.

The first $ 230 to bet can be divided in two different ways: a bet of $ 70 and another $ 160 or an upgrade $ 30, another $ 70 and a $ 130. (Amounts are obviously rough. The exact process is also approximate. The plan may be changed or abandoned altogether about depending on what will happen). In summary, you will need to divide your $ 230 in two or three parts, each bigger than the previous.

You need to divide it into two or three parts according to your opponent. Setting $ 70 and $ 160 will be the right side of give that very unlikely your opponent to determine the strength of your hand.

Suppose that you wager $ 70 on the flop and he calls. Next, you should bet $ 160 on the turn. Should he call? Go all-in? Lie? Any player with a pair of ACEs or AK will have a very difficult decision to take because these players will have very little information on the strength of your hand. It is clear that you bet heavily, but not sure if this hand is strong. Perhaps you try to push a weaker hand. It will be difficult for him to say, and in the end, it will end up not having to guess what you have. No matter what your opponent will think that you have, you'll be in a good position. Some times its assumption will be wrong and you will earn his stack.

The negative side to divide its development into two parts is that it will force you to overbetter on the flop. First, you wager $ 70 in a pot of $ 40 and then $ 160 in a pot of $ 180. These big bets (compared to the size of the pot) will possibly make worried about your opponent. It will be able to see these big bets and lie if it is a timid player or solid.

Your overbet on the flop out of the ordinary for some familiar players. They may feel that you encourage them to play a big pot and what will encourage them to give up the pot. This is why it is so important to think not only that your opponent has, but also what your opponent thinks you can have because it will change the way it will have to interpret your bets. Some players will see the overbets as the semi-faiblesse and others, as the force.

The cutting of the development in 3 parts ($30, $ 70, $ 130) requires no overbet. You bet originally $ 30 in a pot of $ 40, $ 70 in a pot of $ 100 ($ 40 plus two updates $ 30) and then $ 130 in a pot of $ 240 ($ 100 plus the two updates $ 70).

The negative side of this cutting is that your opponent must bet or raise at least once during these two periods. If you want to wager $ 250 on the River as final, you need $ 30, $ 70 and $ 130 on the flop and the turn. You won't be able to put these three updates if your opponent made that call. If you bet $ 30 and then $ 70, it will be $ 380 behind you at the end.

If you can count on your opponent to revive at least once in hand with AA or AK, cutting into 3 parts may be the right solution. Especially if you can count on your opponent to raise the flop and bet the turn if you check. You bet $ 30 on the flop and you are revived to say $ 70 (or more). Then you check the turning (and hope that your opponent bets $ 130 and $ 250 on the river).

Unfortunately, the check - raise is a very powerful weapon and it may intimidate many players, especially if you have a lot of money in your stack. You may lose your opponent, especially after $ 130 on the turn. (Check-raiser the flop and checker turning it won't work usually no more because most opponents will also checker turning).

Alternatively, checker and call on the flop by scheduling check - raiser turning. But again, this weapon is very powerful and you will lose several players on a check - raises.

The correct clearance will depend on one opponent to another. If your opponent calls big bets too often, but revival not often enough, the division into two updates should be the best. If your opponent is hyperactive and seems to be able to do big fold, go ahead with the division into three updates and let restart you. If you have recently taken in a check - raise bluff, all options that involve a check - raise become attractive. Your opponent will remember your check - raise and you will monitor.

The general philosophy will be the same, regardless of your opponent or the situation. You have a big hand and big hands are intended to win big pots. Think about future actions and see how you will need to divide your bets to win a big pot. Imagine how big you want your next bet and work around it. How can you maximize your chances of winning a big pot? How many divisions will you need to do this? Is your opponent trends require one game rather than another?

Maybe this process will seem cumbersome or superfluous for you now. So many things can happen. Perhaps you think you need to play a street at a time. But this way of planning his bets and manipulate the size of the pot is the key to success for the parties with deep stacks to Hold'em without limits. Learn to think in this way each hand and you will not regret it.