Betting

Betting in Hold'em

- What is a straddle?
- Why is a straddle used?
- The continuation bet?
- What is a value bet?
- The three bet in poker?
- What is blind stealing?
- What is check raising?
- What is squeeze play.
- The bluff bet.
- The semi-bluff bet.
- Etiquette in betting.

Betting is a very important aspect in any poker game. With betting their are an abundant amount of strategies that players use, Using them in your game will make you more competitive in your game. This article will just cover the basics

What is a straddle?

The straddle is used only in cash games. Imagine the table seating: you have small blind, seated left of the small blind is the big blind- and left of the big blind is the straddle. Firstly, it should be mentioned that a straddle is an additional pre-bet. This happens when a player is seating next to the big blind and doubles the big blind. Note: this is before a player has looked at their cards. In some casinos, their is an additional rule whereby the dealer can also straddle.

Why is a straddle used?

Quite simply, it is used to up the ante in the game. By placing a straddle bet, it helps to create a larger pot and eliminate players' from the hand. It also gives the playing the last option to raise, providing a small strategic advantage.

The continuation bet in poker:

The situation run down. You have raised pre-flop, you have AK suited. These are good cards but you haven't paired anything when the flop has been turned up. So what do you do? You make a continuation bet. Since you raised at the start, there is a chance that other players' didn't pair their hands or have a strong enough hand to call with- so you make a bet to take the pot.

However, be aware that if someone re-raises, it may indicate that that player has a strong hand; if you don't have a strong hand you should probably fold. The second thing to be aware of is a player could be using the 'slow play strategy' whereby the playing is setting you up for a trap.

What is a value bet?

A value bet is a bet that is made to get the maximum amount of chips from a player. With a value bet you use that information to your advantage. When you are playing poker you want to minimize your losses and maximize the amount of chips you can get. A value bet 'puts' a player on a weaker than yours- the aim is to work out, how much chips that person will call for. If you have a monster hand and you go all-in, if their hand is weak, they won't call it. Hence, providing no return on your all-in. The value bet, puts a player on how many chips they would call with the weak hand to provide maximum value for you.

The three bet in poker:

This is used a lot in poker but not always understood correctly or used well. To break it down. Imagine this scenario, a player has raised pre-flop and another player re-raises them. That is a three bet. It is used a poker ploy to represent a huge hand like pocket Ace's. The three bet puts stress on the other player and makes them reconsider the strength of their hand.

What is blind stealing in poker?

Blind stealing is mostly used in tournament games. A player makes a large raise, enough that everyone is scared away and they take down the pot. This action only occurs pre-flop.

What is check raising?

This is a play that is used as a means of deception. During the betting rounds a player checks anticipating that someone will make a small bet to take down the pot. Once this raise has occurred, then the player will make a bet on top of that expecting that they will fold and also maximizing the amount of chips that they can get from that hand.

What is squeeze play?

This occurs when you have a loose player raising the hand in early position and one more player calling before you. You make a large raise to take down the pot.

The bluff bet:

A bluff is a bet that is made when a player doesn't have anything. Bluffs can be big bets or small bets. Their aim is to take down the pot and try to win the hand. How often you use bluffs is very important. If you use them too much, they won't be respected and you will lose a lot of your chips. If you never use them, players will be able to start reading your play and know when you have strong hands, minimizing your wins. What is important is to have a good balance, use them sometimes but not too often.

The semi-bluff bet:

This is quite similar to the bluff bet, but it is used in earlier position. The only difference is your cards could possibly turn out to be a huge hand whereas a bluff bet is aimed at simply taking the pot. The semi-bluff aims to either take down the pot in early position, or make a player pay to see more cards. In either situation, the player is satisfied with it. It is also important to note, if a player has been called down to the river, and didn't hit their huge hand- then, they might try and make a bluff bet.

Etiquette in betting:

This is very important in poker. If you have bad etiquette in betting, you may as well paint a target on your back- because some players will get annoyed and try to take all of your chips. Things that annoy players:
1 Splashing the pot: This occurs when a player throws their chips into the pot. It can be hard to recognize the value that has been placed in there, which can sometimes look like cheating (not putting in the correct amount that was said).
2 String betting: This happens when a player calls or raises. The player places there chips in the middle and then acts to place more chips in the middle. Or, a player can say 'call' then try to 'raise' straight after.
3 Acting out of turn: This happens when a player calls, raises or folds when it is not their turn. It gives information to other players.