What is Value Betting?

[Sark79]

I have started working through ten hands daily after I finish my game. I take a tour of Blonde and many other forums searching for cash game hands that look interesting.  Tonight, I was reading a hand posted by Green Plastic on another forum.  He mentioned Value Betting. 

Can anyone explain this to me please.   

thanks   

[thetank]

There are reasons for every bet you make (or there should be)

Sometimes you want your opponent to call, sometimes you want them to fold.

If you want them to fold, it is a bluff, or a semi bluff.

If you want them to call, it is usually called a value bet.



Essentially, you feel that you will be called by a hand worse than yours more than 50% of the time. So you make money from the bet itself.
(Ignoring the possibility of getting raised, for simplicitys sake.)

Examply thing......

Your hand 

Board 

You have bet and have been called all the way.

On the river, it is checked to you

You decide to bet

Why?

[Sark79]

ohh sh.t    this is like being back at school 


Ok, if I had been called all the way. I would figure my hand was stronger than my opponents as he would have raised me if it wasn't.   I would put in another bet in order to extract more money from my opponent. This would also make him reconsider if he wasn't sure about the possibility of his hand being ahead.  He may decide to fold and I win the hand outright.




     Is this wrong Sir?   

[Sark79]

Can I have a re-sit if I get this answer wrong?      Where is matt674 or tightend when you need them  . 

[thetank]

Congratulations then, you've just made a value bet.



If the board was 

and you hold 

You've bet all the way and it is checked to you on the river, do you bet?

[Sark79]

This is a tougher one to answer.  As there are overcards ( pair of 10's ) and there are a pair of three's on the board.  There is the possibility my opponent could have  a full house.  My 7,7 doesn't look as strong ( is it 8,7? or 7,7 .  It seems to have changed appearance.  Trickster )  .   It may be a wasted bet on the end, but then again if you are at the river stage and there have been no rasies by my opponent.  Maybe I am good.   It is a hard choice, the people in my games seem to bet with anything.

I would put in another bet.  I wouldn't check as this allows my opponent to beat me if he is better.  My extra bet may drive him off the hand. 

I am not sure to be honest 

[thetank]

Here is where you should consider checking.

If your opponent can beat you, he will call.

If your opponent has a worse hand, he will fold. However, you would have won the showdown anyway.

So a bet is sometimes needlessly risking chips.

When you only get called if you're beat, there is not much value in betting. Often better to just check and see who is best.

 

[Sark79]

Thanks for your help tank.  I appreciate it 

[matt674]

Whilst i completely agree with everything you've said on here tank about there being no point of value betting when you are only going to get called if you are behind - its common sense. However, if i were playing online then chances are i would stick a small value bet in on the end of your second example.

The number of times i've had someone call on the river with nothing but Ace high on a double paired board is untrue as they think that their nut kicker will give them a split pot!!

p.s. congrats Sark on passing your poker test level 2(a), this time next year sir you'll have the full degree

[TightEnd]

Well Sark, here is your schoolmaster...a bit late on the scene


I think in a cash game,playing a reasonably conservative style...most of your profit should come from successful value betting...clearly there is much fun to be had from bluffing or semi bluffing but if you do that too much you are playing quite a racy cash game style

As tank says, if you are fairly sure you are winning and it comes to the river and you are to act then value bet. If you are only going to get called by a hand that is beating you then why risk it? check.

to my mind this is especially true on paired boards...who knows what trouble they can bring...Last night for example


raise with 

one caller

flop

 

I continuation bet attempting to win it there but with outs if I don't

turn 

I bet the nut flush he calls

river 

a blank right?

I bet for value

He raises

see what's coming


  was what was coming!! should have smelt a potential rat with the flat call on the turn really


but stupid full houses apart there is an art to value betting in the amount to bet...too small and it looks like a "milk bet"...too big and it usually will not get called (keeping it simple. a massive overbet can look weak to the right opponent and work in the right circumstances) here is where player notes and "feel" are important......



 

[Sark79]

Tanks second question was abit tough.  I planned on cheating at it by PM'ing another teacher for the answer.  Unfortunatelty everyone was asleep 


thanks tank, tightend and matt for your help