One of the most crucial aspects of poker strategy is understanding the different bet types. As you start reading forums and strategy articles, you might come across several terms that seem confusing, and rather daunting, at first glance.
This short introductory article will cover the five most common poker bets and their features, as well as other basic concepts for newcomers.
Betting Rounds vs. Types of Bets
As a beginner you’ll firstly learn about the different poker betting rounds — such as Flop, Turn, River, and so on. Let’s assume you’re already familiar with those basic terms.
Then as you delve deeper into poker betting you will discover that there are many different types of bets or “actions” to take within each round. These include ‘Blocking Bets’, ‘3-Bets’ and ‘4-Bets’. In each betting round, you can place these bet types depending on various factors — such as previous actions and the board.
If you want to practice placing various bet types, then head on over to the tables at 888Poker where the atmosphere is welcoming to newcomers.
There are dozens of different bet types to consider, but the following are the most common:
1. Continuation Bet
If you are the preflop aggressor (i.e. a player that raised before the flop), you can place a continuation bet on the flop, regardless of your hand, simulating that you connected your pair of cards on the flop. Of course, this all depends on the board’s texture and other aspects. But as its name implies, it’s a bet you place to continue with the aggression.
2. 3-Bet
As its name suggests, a 3-bet is a third bet. For example if, before the flop, player A raises (hence calling the big blind) and player B raises his bet, that’s a 3-bet.
This movement has become popular in recent years with the development of aggressive strategies, and the popularisation of 6-max games, where the hand range to raise is greater.
3. Overbet
An overbet means putting down more chips than there are in the pot. Why would a player do that?
There are several reasons: bluffing opponents at a mixed board, forcing them to fold, or lowering the pot odds and reducing the chance of a player chasing a draw.
4. Value Bet
In short, a value bet is made to increase the profit from a good hand. When you attempt this, you expect the villain to call you with the worst hand.
You’ll need to consider your opponent’s range, your own hand (which you think is better), and think about how much he is likely to pay. Value betting, especially in poker, is an advanced concept and it takes many hands of practice to get to grips with it.
5. Slow Play
Rather than a type of bet, slow play is a game strategy which involves setting a trap for your opponents while you hide a powerful hand. Let’s say you have 66 preflop, and the board shows 3T6. You hit a set on a dry board; so instead of betting hard, you can just check, hoping for someone to make a bet.
Slowplay is a dangerous game because you are giving free cards to your opponents: they could complete a draw with them.
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