Correctly sized bets will maximize your wins and minimize your losses.  Additionally, you will put opponents in situations where they are getting the wrong odds to play back at you.

 

Any bet you make should always relate to the current size of the pot. First question then, how much is in the pot?  Remember, your bet determines your opponents' pot odds.  Every time your opponent calls with incorrect odds, you have an edge.  Therefore, make correctly sized bets to ensure your opponents can make these mistakes.

 

If you believe you have a hand superior to your opponent, bet 70% to full pot.  This size bet will prevent the opposition from correctly calling,  if they are on a draw.   They will, however, now have the wrong odds to continue with the hand.  A bet that size will winnow weaker hands from the field. As you might well imagine, you will reduce the chances of your hand getting outdrawn when the next card comes.

 

At lower limits, there are few instances where you want to make a bet less than half the size of the pot. Weaker bets will usually cost you value and giving your opponents to correct odds to call and perhaps outdraw you.

 

Often, you will see a player make a smaller bet.  Either he is making an error or he is being tricky. The point being, the smaller bet provides information.  A standard-sized bet carries little information. 

 

A properly-sized bet puts your opponents to a tough decision.  Their calls should offer info regarding hand strength. For opponents to call, they must feel they have a decent holding or strong drawing hand. (Of course, they could be idiots or floating you to take the hand on a later street.) Therefore, we can use this information to influence our decision on the next betting round.

 

If we have a decent hand but it is one that is easily beat, we may consider slowing down our betting on future rounds as our opponent may have us beat as they called our strong bet on an earlier round. However, if we feel we still have the best hand then we should continue our strong betting, to try and extract as much money as possible from our opponents by taking advantage of our pot equity.

 

The biggest mistake for beginners is making minimum bets (donkbets) and raises. If make a minimum raise before the flop, a number of players will call you, as they are now getting the proper odds to see the flop with any two cards.

 

As a general rule, beginners should avoid minimum bets and raises. Either make a strong bet or don't bet at all.  As we used to say in the playgrounds of my youth, go big or go home.  Also, a donkbet elicits little info about your opponent's hand. 

 

As a general rule of thumb, if you raise pre-flop, make your bet 3x  the size of the big blind. Never vary that amount.  (If you are at the lowest stakes, you might have to make this bet 4x or 5x, as the amount must be large enough to dissuade chasers.)

If there are limpers before you, bet 3xBB +1BB for each limper.  again, you are betting in part to put your opponents to a tough decision with incorrect odds.

 

If you are raising an opponent’s bet, raise them 3 times the size of their original bet; again to offer incorrect odds for a call.

 

When you decide to make a bet or a raise, look at the size of the pot before deciding on the size of your play.  Look at the size of the stacks of all players remaining in the hand.  Look at the size of your own stack.  If any bet is going to be more than 40% of your stack, just shove. 

 

The goal of bet sizing is a simple one.  Or two.  You want to reduce the odds your opponents are getting.  You want to maximize your winnings.

 

Bottom line:  A shove is often the wrong size bet.   Don't ever be afraid to bet correctly.