Most novice players freeze up when they have a strong hand. They start to check and call believing that they are luring their opponent in; setting them up for a fall. But the truth is that all that’s happening when they check and call is they are simply blowing off the chance to win more money.
Solid Value Betting Fundamentals- Sizing Bets
Sizing bets accurately is a crucial skill that separates the average player from the really good ones. In no-limit Hold’em where the goal is to try and manage the size of the pot, the size of the bet as well as the betting frequency are the factors that will accomplish this goal.
With a strong hand, increasing the size of the pot is the main objective. To achieve this, the player will need to figure out the best bet size; this is the bet that maximizes your anticipated future profit. A simple way to know this is to anticipate what your opponent will call and what their bet size will be. The higher the bet, the larger the pot will be for future bets. The size will also define the odds you’re offering your opponent.
Also, the position can also play a vital function in guiding the size of the pot. The position makes it very easy to build a pot, at the same time allowing you to play a smaller pot whenever you want.
The Game-Theory Optimal Approach
There are multiple decisions to be made in every game, and these decisions either pay off or they don’t. In poker, you get to decide which hand you want to play, how to play it, and how much money to bet on the hand. Your compensation for these decisions is the pot, and your bet is the potential cost. How much you win or lose will depend on what strategy you use. That is why the Game Theory Optimal approach is the strategic heart of all games.
?Optimal? means ?not exploitable.? It may not be the best choice for players and may not have the highest payoff, but is a default play strategy for all games. Using this baseline ensures that no matter what your opponent plays, you will break even. Your opponent can’t out-play you or out-think you, can’t know your tells?all he can do is stay afloat and tie with you. In poker, these set of bet sizes, hand ranges, frequencies, etc. cannot be beaten. What’s more, awesome is that when your opponent deviates from GTO, they lose money to you.
The key to playing a successful game when you have a good hand is recognizing value betting opportunities. Always size your bet to get the most value, and if you are unsure go with the GTO approach.