When to bet your draws (NLH)

[robsterling]

I, like a lot of players, like to bet my strong draws - open ended straight draws, nut flush draws or combo draws. I think its good to do this because obviously you build the pot up bigger so if you do hit you win more and others find it harder to fold possibly, you can make other people fold and win the pot there and then and also the fact that you are drawing maybe somewhat disguised. The reason I'm posting is because I don't really have any rules for when to bet on draws. Sometimes I do, sometimes I dont. In position I don't do it too often because of the danger of being check-raised by a set or something, if I'm on the button and I can get that free card I will. So basically I'm wondering whether anyone has rules or anything they apply when to bet their draws (based on position, players in the hand, whether there's a preflop raise, stack sizes, etc). I will post a few hands to where I have bet my draws or chose not to and show the outcomes and explain them where possible. Bare in mind though, I am only playin 0.05/0.10, I know some might say just to play standard ABC TAG but I think there is definitely a time and a place for everything at any stakes and I have been successful at these stakes so far and will move up, just want to see how well I do on the Betfair leaderboard this month :tongue2. Anyway I'll post hands up shortly once I've edited them. Thanks, Rob

[robsterling]

Re: When to bet your draws (NLH) Hand 1: Here I bet my draw because this was a fairly unaggressive game where there were a lot of callers and I figured I could make a decent bet to juice up the pot hoping to hit the nuts on the turn perhaps. Then with the turn being an A I figured some callers may have hit their top pair and called as I figured I was getting about better than 3/1 and had about 4/1 to hit, and believed if i did hit I could get paid off as people love aces at these stakes. Unfortunately there is a min raise then, which I didnt expect but obviously had to call this. I then obviously missed the river and check folded. I think in retrospect maybe I shouldnt have bet this flop at all, the call on the turn I don't think was too bad as I believe I just about had odds, but would like to hear your opinions. ***** Betfair Poker Hand History for Game 232488787 ***** NL $0.05/$0.10 Texas Hold'em - Monday, July 23, 23:31:13 GMT 2007 Table Mensa 9-max (Real Money) Seat 7 is the button Total number of active players : 9 Seat 1: UTG ( $22.69 ) Seat 2: Player B ( $15.87 ) Seat 3: Player C ( $21.65 ) Seat 4: Player D ( $7.40 ) Seat 5: Player E ( $10.15 ) Seat 6: Cut Off ( $3.78 ) Seat 7: Button ( $4.57 ) Seat 8: SB ( $12.71 ) Seat 9: Hero ( $16.07 ) SB posts small blind [$0.05] Hero posts big blind [$0.10] ** Dealing down cards ** Dealt to Hero [ 8c, 9s ] UTG folds Player B folds Player C calls [$0.10] Player D folds Player E calls [$0.10] Player F calls [$0.10] Button folds SB calls [$0.05] Hero checks ** Dealing Flop ** [ 2d, 7s, 6d ] SB checks Hero bets [$0.40] Player C calls [$0.40] Player E calls [$0.40] Cut Off folds SB calls [$0.40] ** Dealing Turn ** [ As ] SB bets [$0.60] Hero calls [$0.60] Player C raises to [$1.20] Player E folds SB calls [$0.60] Hero calls [$0.60] ** Dealing River ** [ Qh ] SB checks Hero checks Player C bets [$4.80] SB calls [$4.80] Hero folds ** Showdown ** Player C shows [ 5h, 4d ] high card Ace SB shows [ Ac, Jd ] a pair of Aces ** Hand Conclusion ** SB wins $14.54 from main pot with a pair of Aces Hand 2: In this hand I know my call from the big blind is questionable but I am happy that I can get rid of A9 if i hit the ace, and also Player D here has been raising and playing way too many hands with all kinds of rubbish (playing LAG badly). On the flop I hit a nut flush draw against two opponents I decide to bet this as I think I may be able to take the pot there but also build it up. The call from Player B I like here as I have played with this player a lot and the limp call preflop, followed by the call on flop I know could very likely be a set here, which could see me get paid off nicely. I check call the turn here estimating that implied odds and my read of a set mean I could get paid off adequately despite not having proper odds on the turn. The river again is a blank so I check fold (although pretended to think about it) she asked if I had KQ or KJ here so I'm happy my hand was disguised well and she said she did have a set. I know poker players lie and everything but I think my read and play here was ok, pity I didn't hit. And I'm happy that if the turn or river was an A I could get away. ***** Betfair Poker Hand History for Game 232501168 ***** NL $0.05/$0.10 Texas Hold'em - Tuesday, July 24, 00:12:07 GMT 2007 Table Mensa 9-max (Real Money) Seat 6 is the button Total number of active players : 8 Seat 1: Player A ( $15.81 ) Seat 2: Player B ( $14.15 ) Seat 3: Player C ( $29.21 ) Seat 4: Player D ( $47.36 ) Seat 5: Cut Off ( $22.82 ) Seat 6: Button ( $4.60 ) Seat 7: SB ( $13.53 ) Seat 8: Hero ( $11.93 ) Seat 9: UTG ( $1.55 ) Hero posts big blind [$0.10] ** Dealing down cards ** Dealt to Hero [ 9c, Ac ] UTG folds Player A folds Player B calls [$0.10] Player C folds Player D raises to [$0.24] Cut Off folds Button folds Hero calls [$0.14] Player B calls [$0.14] ** Dealing Flop ** [ Kc, 7d, 2c ] Hero bets [$0.49] Player B calls [$0.49] Player D folds ** Dealing Turn ** [ 5d ] Hero checks Player B bets [$1] Hero calls [$1] ** Dealing River ** [ 2h ] Hero checks Player B bets [$2] Hero folds Returning uncalled bet [$2] to Player B ** Hand Conclusion ** Player B wins $3.52 from main pot

[robsterling]

Re: When to bet your draws (NLH) Hand 3: Here I get dealt some rubbish in the big blind so just check it expecting to throw away probably. But again I hit an open ended straight on the flop and bet it as I think a big pot could brew here with an A on flop and the possibility of another straight. This time I hit nicely on the turn :nana and bet out again as if I have an A to build the pot more, hoping for people on aces, two pairs, straights whatever to raise me as i have the nuts :lol. I get a raise, and reraise, this might be a bit aggressive but would hate for someone to hit a flush here on the river although I think the opponent (the same who raise preflop in hand 2) could have 2 pair with ace rag or the lower straight (maybe this is a read in retrospect though ha ha). The river, I think I may as well continue my aggression as it has worked thus far, the river has changed nothing and he obviously thinks he has a hand. And there we go a nice result :clap. ***** Betfair Poker Hand History for Game 232517470 ***** NL $0.05/$0.10 Texas Hold'em - Tuesday, July 24, 01:17:06 GMT 2007 Table Mensa 9-max (Real Money) Seat 4 is the button Total number of active players : 7 Seat 1: Player A ( $4.79 ) Seat 2: Player B ( $7.75 ) Seat 3: Cut Off ( $3.96 ) Seat 4: Button ( $48.82 ) Seat 5: SB ( $5.34 ) Seat 6: Sit Out ( $0 ) Seat 8: Hero ( $14.71 ) Seat 9: UTG ( $0.86 ) SB posts small blind [$0.05] Hero posts big blind [$0.10] ** Dealing down cards ** Dealt to Hero [ 3d, 6h ] UTG folds Player A folds Player B folds Cut Off calls [$0.10] Button calls [$0.10] SB calls [$0.05] Hero checks ** Dealing Flop ** [ Ac, 5h, 4c ] SB checks Hero bets [$0.40] Cut Off calls [$0.40] Button calls [$0.40] SB folds ** Dealing Turn ** [ 2s ] Hero bets [$1] Cut Off calls [$1] Button raises to [$3] Hero raises to [$7.20] Cut Off folds calls [$4.20] ** Dealing River ** [ 8h ] Hero goes all-in Hero bets [$7.01] Button calls [$7.01] ** Showdown ** Button shows [ 3c, Qs ] a straight, Five to Ace Hero shows [ 3d, 6h ] a straight, Six To Deuce ** Hand Conclusion ** Hero wins $29.47 from main pot with a straight, Six To Deuce Hand 4: I called with this suited junk from the small blind, can't remember why and I wouldn't normally but the call was made and I saw the flop. I flop a nut flush draw, but this time don't bet it. To be honest I can't remember why I think possibly because I felt I shouldnt be in the hand and didn't want to waste more on junk. Would like to hear your opinions, should I have check raised or bet out myself here? The turn I hit my flush and check hoping someone else made a flush possibly or someone else would bet disguising my strength, but it's checked through. On the river I feel like nobody has much so have to make a value bet, maybe I bet too much here I don't know. But I feel if I bet the draw originally the pot may have juiced especially if I check raised and people probably wouldnt think I had made a flush on the turn. Any opinions would be great. ***** Betfair Poker Hand History for Game 232733918 ***** NL $0.05/$0.10 Texas Hold'em - Tuesday, July 24, 19:33:42 GMT 2007 Table Mensa 04 9-max (Real Money) Seat 4 is the button Total number of active players : 9 Seat 1: Player A ( $6.81 ) Seat 2: Player B ( $3.15 ) Seat 3: Cut Off ( $11.89 ) Seat 4: Button ( $5.88 ) Seat 5: Hero ( $9.83 ) Seat 6: BB ( $8.80 ) Seat 7: UTG ( $11.20 ) Seat 8: Player D ( $25.46 ) Seat 9: Player E ( $9.23 ) Hero posts small blind [$0.05] BB posts big blind [$0.10] ** Dealing down cards ** Dealt to Hero [ Kc, 3c ] UTG calls [$0.10] Player D folds Player E calls [$0.10] Player A folds Player B calls [$0.10] Cut Off calls [$0.10] Button folds Hero calls [$0.05] BB checks ** Dealing Flop ** [ Tc, Ac, 8h ] Hero checks BB checks UTG bets [$0.10] Player E folds Player B folds Cut Off calls [$0.10] Hero calls [$0.10] BB calls [$0.10] ** Dealing Turn ** [ 4c ] Hero checks BB checks UTG checks Cut Off checks ** Dealing River ** [ Th ] Hero bets [$0.40] BB folds UTG folds Cut Off folds Returning uncalled bet [$0.40] to Hero ** Hand Conclusion ** Hero wins $0.95 from main pot

[Punto Banco]

Re: When to bet your draws (NLH) In the last hand you didn't bet out on the flop which I think was preferable to the way you did play it.... 1 thing my experience of this level (is not extremely big) a lot of people will just call most bets with A* and would really only raise with AK, AQ.... anything stronger than that will be slow played, if no-one has anything A or better I would assume they will fold plus as you mentioned earlier it would mask your draw... ...but a move I like even a little more than this is the check raise.... this is not the prime situation for it but I do believe it is a great tool in NLHE for semi bluffs perhaps raise to 40c on the flop it does open yourself to a re raise against a really strong hand (however anything that strong has redraws on your flush and really you don't want to be getting involved in that anyways) but it would allow you should you hit on the turn or the river to value bet more accurately... depends on your opponents actions to the 40c raise, really anyone who folds to this bet is 90% likely to fold to any bet after the flush comes (unless you both hit something, but once again you really don't want to rely on such a situation to make money) however if they call... you can be certain that they will call say a $1 bet on the turn etc... if you just call here you only win the 30% (ish) that you hit and I think that by check raising this would increase to something like 50-60% with really getting more in the pot when you do get it rather than relying on your opponent hitting hard enough to call big bets without redrawing on you... essentially I am just saying that there is little value in not betting or at least there will be very few situations that this will not be true... good luck...:ok