23 Nov 2024 Beginner This material is for beginner players barreling bet sizing continuation bet open raise Bet sizing is a topic that often challenges inexperienced players. If you’re unable to consistently make bets of the correct size throughout a hand, it’s likely that your game has a major leak. Mastering the skill of choosing the right bet sizes will help you maximize your winnings and minimize your losses. It will also allow you to deny your opponents equity by giving them inappropriate pot odds when they are drawing. Bet sizing is a key skill to learn, regardless of which format or variant of poker you play. How to Choose Bet Sizing The size of any bet you make should always depend on the current size of the pot. In other words, it should be calculated as a percentage of the pot, rather than as a fixed monetary value ($). Before making a bet or raise, you must always consider how much money is in the pot. This is important because the size of the pot determines the pot odds your opponent gets, affecting whether their call will be profitable (+EV). Every time an opponent calls without the proper pot odds, you profit. This makes it crucial to size your bets correctly, ensuring that your opponents make fundamental mistakes by making bad calls. Every time your opponent calls with poor pot odds, you gain profit. Before GTO solvers appeared, good bet sizes were considered to be between 1/2 of the pot and a full pot-sized bet. Now we know that solvers often favor a wide range of sizes, from very small bets (25-33% of the pot) to huge overbets (200-400% of the pot). And there are good reasons for this. However, this is advanced poker theory and a topic for another series of articles. In this article, we will focus on the most common and effective bet sizes, which work well in most situations at microstakes. Reasons to Bet Larger There are several advantages to using bigger bet sizes: You give opponents bad pot odds for drawing You extract more value with strong You deny equity of opponent's hands Reasons to Bet Smaller Apply pressure on weak hands in your opponent's range Exploit the players' passivity Take advantage of overfolding Increase the success rate of bluffs against inelastic ranges Bet Sizing Preflop Open Raises The general rule for preflop open-raises is to size them around 2.5-3bb. If there are limpers before you, add 1bb per limper to deny other players good odds to call. Raise 3bb + 1bb per limper. For example, at a $0.05/$0.10 game with two limpers, a raise to $0.50-0.60 would be optimal. 3-betting When 3-betting, your sizing should generally be 3x the size of the original raise if you are in position. If you are out of position, increase the size to 3.5x–4x to apply more pressure and compensate for your positional disadvantage. 4-Betting For 4-bets, a good sizing is around 2.2x–2.5x the size of the 3-bet when you are in position. Out of position, you can increase the sizing slightly to 2.5x–3x. Bet Sizing Postflop С-betting on the Flop Use small bets (25-33% pot) on dry boards where your opponent has few draws or strong hands. Use larger bets (50-75% pot) on wet boards to deny equity and protect your hand. Against weak, passive players, bet larger to maximize value with strong hands. Stick to simple sizes to avoid mistakes — small for bluffs, larger for value. At microstakes, players are unlikely to exploit your bet sizing, so you can focus on more straightforward strategies. Check-Raising In Position (IP): When check-raising in position, a good sizing is around 3x the size of your opponent's bet. Out of Position (OOP): When check-raising out of position, it's often better to use a slightly larger sizing, around 3.5x to 4x the size of the bet. This helps to make up for the disadvantage of acting first. A Common Bet-Sizing Mistake One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is betting or raising too small when the action is on them. For example, if you make a small preflop raise, many opponents will call because you’re offering them great pot odds to see the flop with any two cards. The key rule here is to avoid playing passively. It’s better to make a strong bet than to bet too small — or not at all. Similarly, when you raise too small against opponents who bet into you, you often give them good odds to outdraw you, even if you currently hold the best hand. Additionally, passive play provides little information about your opponent’s hand strength, as they will often call these small raises with a wide range. Conclusion Whenever you decide to bet or raise, always consider the current size of the pot before adjusting your bet size or calculating your stack. It’s crucial to deny your opponents favorable pot odds while maximizing value with properly sized bets. By choosing small sizes in the wrong situations or playing passively, you give opponents the chance to outdraw you with weaker hands and risk extracting less value over the long run. Play aggressively and confidently, making strong bets whenever possible. This way, you’ll make it clear to your opponents that you’re not someone to mess with!
