When to make a large bet in No Limit

No Limit poker is an exercise in skill and courage.   Either alone is not enough to make a player a winner.  Knowing when to bet or how much, takes time and experience to learn.  A player with four of a kind early in a Holdem game is a fool to make a large bet early.   This kind of a hand should be played to gain maximum payoff.  Slow playing solid hand will gain more profit than making a large bet.   Just call other player's bets is the way to play this hand.  Only on your last bet should you raise and try to get another player or players to call.  This rare hand should get maximum profit from the other players.

A large bet can be made when you have four to a flush and a pair of Aces.   This bet may win the hand right then or at least you have the best of it with the coming deal.  Making large wagers when you have the edge is the way to gain maximum profit from good hands.  A drawing edge is a reasonable place to make a bigger wager.

When carrying out a bluff, be prepared to make a large wager in order to keep up the appearance of a solid hand.  A small bet will not discourage a player with a modest calling hand.  Bluffing is the art of illusion and the larger bet is part of this deception.  If you are unwilling to make the larger bet, do not bluff.

Weak players are afraid to call on marginal hands when faced with a bigger bet.

On the other hand a calling station player is hard to bluff or deceive.  These players cannot stand the idea of being bluffed out of a pot.  They will call almost any bet to make sure they are not being bluffed.  They have to see every hand, so they will call almost any wager.

Betting from an early table position is part of the game that takes time to learn.    Early bet strategy is important for playing a single hand.  Early bets set up the play for what to do later in the hand.  A good hand can be check-raised and a poor hand can be bluffed or folded.  A player should plan their later play of any hand.  Strategy is a significant part of playing good poker and proper betting is critical for good play.  When surprised by a bet, you should take stock of the situation.  When in doubt, fold.  When there is no doubt, you should raise.  Winning players exhibit courage.

Tagsbluff, Holdem game, No Limit poker, online poker, poker, poker strategy

See also

• Early position betting in Holdem
  The betting that a player makes in the early position at a Holdem cash game is different from a late position bet.  A good hand may be played softly in hopes that there is a chance to raise before the flop.  A weak pair should be played softly in case there is a later raise.  [...]
• When to move up in the table limits in Holdem
  New players to Holdem should start at a limit that is well within their stake money and only move up in limits when they are consistently winning at the starting level.  As a player moves up in the table limits the opponents will become tougher to beat.  The higher the limit of play usually means [...]