It is important to remind new players not to worry too much about tells, as it is usually better to focus on betting patterns rather than the words and actions of opponents.
By betting patterns we are talking about when that players tend to bet on and as they bet. Watching them both closely, and remembering the patterns they display in these situations, can be very helpful when making decisions about what hands your opponent might have. In live poker, especially, players can tell a lot about their hands just by the size of their bets.
How to describe bet sizing
Below we’ll cover the most important distinctions and factors that affect bet sizing. But first, let’s briefly cover the topic of how to talk about this topic, or at least how it’s typically discussed.
When discussing betting preflop, we typically talk about bet size relative to the size of the big blind. For example, in a $1/$2 cash game, where the BB is $2, a player might open with a raise to $8. From a strategic standpoint, what matters here is that the size of the raise is four times the big blind, or “4x” the BB, as it is commonly referred to.
The next reraise can also be treated in terms of the number of big blinds it represents, or more commonly it will be relative to the original raise. For example, after a raise of $8, a player might raise to $23. You could say that the reraise was 11.5 times the BB, or in a more community-accepted way, you could say that the reraise was almost 3x the original raise.
When we talk about betting postflop, sizes are usually stated in terms of pot size, not BBs.
Let’s say that after that reraise of $23 the table has folded to the original aggressor, who calls, creating a pot of $49. On the flop, the first player checks and his opponent bets $25. The size of the bet is described as “half pot”. If he had bet $35, it would be described as “3/4 pot”. Conversely, if he had bet $50, it would be described as a “pot sized” bet, and so on.
The reason why post-flop betting refers to its relation to the pot is that it helps you calculate the pot odds. You can even start memorizing common post-flop situations so that you can more easily remember the odds for that situation.
Preflop Bet Sizing
In No-Limit Hold'em cash games, you will often find players making larger bets before the flop than in No-Limit Hold'em tournaments. A pre-flop raise of 3x the BB in a cash game is generally considered small. In tournaments, such raises are considered large considering the stack sizes.
In low-stakes live cash games, you will often see players raising 5xBB or more in an attempt to reduce the number of callers. This also happens in online games, particularly at lower stakes such as micros.
Whether in a cash game or a tournament, live or online, pay attention to the “normal” preflop betting amounts at your table, and pay particular attention when someone deviates significantly from the “standard.” If 5xBB seems to be the standard for a given game, take note when a player opens with 8x or 10xBB, or, conversely, with 2x or 3xBB. Cross-reference this information with your opponent’s cards, if you see them, as this will provide important information for future decision-making.
There are a few factors to consider when evaluating an opponent's bet size on a preflop raise.
- The player's position
- The player's stack size
- The player’s style and previous betting patterns
Raises from early position will usually be larger than raises from middle or late position. Someone who is UTG usually wants to discourage players from calling their bet, since they will have to play out of position after the flop. Meanwhile, players in late position are not as concerned about post-flop position, since they know that they will usually have comfortable positions to play on that street.
When a player bets before the flop, it is also important to note how many chips that player has left in their stack. Let's say in a $1/$2 cash game, a random player raises to $12 from the middle of the table, which is folded to you on the button.
Before you can decide what to do, you look and realize that the player in question only has $40 chips left after the raise. It is likely that a player with such a small stack will be eager to get the rest of his chips in right after the flop, which means that a call from you with $12 could mean committing another $40 later in the hand. If your hand is strong enough, you can reraise and force the decision on your opponent before the flop. However, if you are thinking of chasing a set with hands like JJ, you should be aware that the villain's stack is not big enough to make the play profitable in the long run.
Finally, a player’s style and betting patterns provide important context when assessing the size of a preflop raise. Is the player loose and aggressive, having raised several times before? Is the player nitpicky and has rarely raised before the flop? When he has raised, he has usually raised with 4xBB, so why has he now raised with 6xBB? Answering these questions can help us better understand what the raise in this particular hand means when assessing the strength of his hand.
Bet sizing after the flop
When it comes to post-flop betting, the differences between live and online, and between cash games and tournaments, tend to be minor. Some live games will be much looser than some online games, and vice versa. Also, some cash games will be very tight, and some tournaments will be very loose and aggressive. The point, again, is that we should be aware of the apparent “normality” in post-flop bet sizing, and take note of players who deviate from this pattern.
That said, we can make some generalizations about post-flop bet sizing that tend to apply to different types of scenarios in NLHE games.
On the flop, C-bets are commonly made by the pre-flop raiser. Large C-bets, something like 3/4 of the pot or more, usually show either a lot of strength or vulnerability. A player holding JJ on a :9d :8c :4c flop doesn't want his opponents to see the turn as cheap, so it's wise to make a large bet on the flop and try to take down the pot. Small C-bets, something like less than 1/2 of the pot, are more ambiguous. A player who makes such a bet on the same flop, :9d :8c :4h , could either have king-high or trip 9s.
On the turn, bet sizing becomes more meaningful, and in many cases gives more information about the player’s hand. When evaluating bet sizing on the turn, it is wise to consider the player’s relative position (will he act first or last?), stack size (is the player pot-committed, or nearly so?), betting style and patterns (is the player aggressive or passive after the flop?), and board texture. A player betting $30 into a $120 pot on a :9d :8c :4c :7c board could be making a semi-bluff or defensive block bet. A player betting $90 into a $120 pot on the same board could have completed a draw and be betting for value while protecting his hand against draws that might come on the river.
On the river, large bets of 3/4 of the pot or more usually indicate either great strength or a bluff, which is why they are called “polarizing” bets, because they force your opponent to answer the question: “Does he have what he represents or not?” On a :9d :8c :4c :7c :5d board a player fires $150 into a $180 pot. Should you fold your two pair, or could you call with a hand that is great at catching bluffs? Small bets of 1/3 of the pot or less can also be bluffs, but they often tend to be value bets. A player betting $55 into a $180 pot on the same board may have a made flush, and so thinks that this bet size is more likely to be called by hands like two pair or a straight.
How to choose the size of your bets?
So how should you choose the size of your bets, both pre-flop and post-flop? A complete answer to such a question would require a whole series of articles, but as a general rule, try to balance the size of your bets and avoid being too obvious with your patterns.
By “balance” I mean don’t always raise the same amount with strong hands and don’t always raise the same amount with weak hands. Don’t bet the same amount every time you’re bluffing or betting for value. Savvy opponents will easily spot your patterns, causing your raises to go uncalled when you have good hands and to be called when your bluffs and bad hands are very obvious.
Also, when choosing your bet size, keep in mind the pot odds you will be giving your opponent(s) to call. A smaller bet will give you more inviting pot odds to call, while a larger bet will give your opponent poor pot odds. You may want someone to call with draws and medium hands just to give you money when you have the absolute nuts. Or, you may want to take opponents out of the game when your hand is good but not the nuts, giving them poor odds.
Whatever you do, choose your bet sizes with a purpose in mind. Try to choose the size that will best help you achieve your goal for betting. Do you want to get called? Do you want to get folded? Do you want to induce a raise? Do the math and make your best bets.
Article translated and adapted from the original: 10 Hold'em Tips: Bet Sizing*
NOTE: Part of the “10 Hold'em Tips” series
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