by Andrew Brokos
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Big bet poker is a game of options and creativity. Whereas fixed limit players generally have only two or three options at any given decision point (check/bet or raise/call/fold), big bet players often have the option of betting anywhere from 1BB to the size of the pot or the effective stacks. Yet despite the myriad options available, most players tend to restrict themselves to betting between 2/3 pot and full pot.
This is not without good reason. Such moderately sized bets offer a compelling risk/reward ratio: they build the pot for big hands, deny proper odds to all but the best draws, and avoid putting too much of your stack at risk.
However, there are drawbacks to such a narrow betting strategy. The ability to vary bet sizes is one of the defining characteristics of no-limit and pot-limit games. Failing to take full advantage of it can only hurt you in the long run. Moreover, most of your opponents will be accustomed to responding to “big-but-not-too-big” bets. It is what they do, it is what most of their opponents do, and through trial and error they’ve improved their decision-making when faced with such bets.
Introducing underbetting and overbetting into your game can both expand your ability to think more deeply about a poker hand and confound your opponents, forcing them to muddle through a new situation without the benefit of practice, experience, or training. Although this article will consider some specific uses for unconventional bets, it should be read as a how-to manual for introducing any new option into your playbook rather than as a comprehensive guide to employing these specific techniques. Your ultimate goal should be to approach poker situations with an open mind and a broad understanding of all of your options, not simply to add two more moves to your repertoire.
Next: Overbetting