I'm just wondering, early in a NL Tourney, ie. 1500 in chips, 10/20, 15/30 blinds. Does anyone else bet the pot when they hit the flop. Normally I bet half the pot later in tourneys, but is betting the pot a good practice early in a tourney with the blinds so low. I do this to discourage draws.

Hit the flop in what way?

This is the sort of situation where bet size depends very much on the specific hand. Connected boards require higher bets. Stack size is important. Number of people in the hand is important. Relative strength of the hand is important.

Do you have a hand history for us?

I'm just wondering, early in a NL Tourney, ie. 1500 in chips, 10/20, 15/30 blinds. Does anyone else bet the pot when they hit the flop. Normally I bet half the pot later in tourneys, but is betting the pot a good practice early in a tourney with the blinds so low. I do this to discourage draws.

Nope, just you.

In the future, I predict that betting the pot will be called betting the PT0077

no HH, For example, TPTK, Set, overpair to board

TPTK, overpair to board- good time for a pot sized bet

set- if the board isn't very coordinated and you can pull it off, slowplay, otherwise put in a small bet. if it has 2 to a flush or close enough to keep someone in on a straight draw, lead out pretty biglike.

Again, these are very general, and depend on lots of other variables.

Does this help?

It was more a general question. I normally do bet the pot early and half later. Just wondering if that's normal or if I am overbetting by betting the pot early. Just wondering if that's sound. I think that betting 300 into a 100 pot is silly, but on the other hand, I don't want betting 100 into a 100 pot to allow people to chase. Just wondering which is the better play.

I used to get annoyed when people overbet the pot, but now I'm starting to do it more. Many players in these situations will call for any amount, so you might as well extract a little more value when they do.

I guess that I just will keep betting the pot because if I see a flush or straight card come off I can get away with it without losing too much. I know that if I'm gonna get sucked out on, I'm gonna get sucked out on, but if I bet the pot, they are making an incorrect call, but I don't lose too much if the turn is a bad card.

Is that a fair assesment of a reasonable play?

Edit: I just returned to tourney play after playing limit for 8 months. I am trying to develop my full game

Your thinking is a little flawed, but you clearly know how to assess situations and are improving.

Do not think about getting away cheaply on later streets. Think in terms of expected value (EV). Consider this example:

You hit TPTK with your AK on a flop with 2 flush cards. Suppose You know your opponent is on a flush draw that you don't have. Suppose you further know that he will call any bet up to 5x the pot (which we'll say is 100), but will never raise you.

2/3 of the time, the flush will miss. So here's your EV for betting the max (i.e., pot is 100, you bet 500, he calls 500):

2/3(1100) - 1/3(1100) = +366.66

But if you only bet the pot, there'll be 100 in the pot, plus 100 from your bet and 100 from his call, for a total of 300.

2/3(300) - 1/3(300) = +100

So there's more EV to the first decision, so it is preferable. In a cash game, this is the end of the story, and you should choose #1. Risk of elimination and other such factors apply in tournament play that would give more weight to the second decision, but the first is still the better choice.

Does this make sense? Be sure to tell me if it does not. If you need me to explain the calculation (or what the hell EV is), feel free to respond or PM me.

Not always. If you bet the pot on the flop and the guy has a flush draw or open-ended straight draw, he's making a correct call. Then, on the turn, unless it's heads up, it may also be a correct call. Betting the pot won't solve all of your problems.

Oh, yeah, forgot about that. Custom's right.


You've got the pot odds covered, but you need to put a bigger chink in the implied odds.