Hello, I'm James Hartigan. Welcome to PokerStars Learn,
and our guide to 'Betting and Raising in Texas Hold'em.'
Betting in a poker hand is any action where you put chips into the pot.
By the end of this video, you will know the basics of why, when,
and how much to bet.
There are three different ways you can put chips into the pot:
Making the initial bet, calling that bet, or raising it.
This video is going to focus on the more active or aggressive options:
Betting and raising.
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Okay, let's start by going over the basics of betting...
If nobody else has entered the pot, then you can bet first.
That could be the minimum - the current value of the big blind - or more.
If another player has already bet, then you can add...
the same number of chips to call, or you can raise.
The minimum raise will be double the size of the current bet,
but you can make it more.
So why put in a bet? Broadly speaking, there are two primary reasons:
the first is to bet for value, the second is to bet as a bluff.
If you think you’ve got the best hand, you want to build a pot,
and therefore win more chips.
This type of bet is called a 'value bet.'
You’re betting hoping to get called by an opponent with a worse hand.
But you can't always rely on having the best hand to win, though.
The other reason to bet is when you know you don't have the best hand.
You want to make your opponent think that you do,
you want them to fold.
This type of bet is famously known as a bluff.
It's the opposite of a value bet.
You're betting hoping to get your opponent to fold a better hand.
While bluffing is central to poker, it's only part of the game.
You should be very selective, only bluffing when you're confident...
it will work. For example, against tight, risk-averse players,
and preferably when your hand still has a chance of improving...
on the turn or river.
So, now you know why you want to bet,
let's walk through the different betting round in a hand of Hold'em.
You can't be first into the pot before the flop, because the..
players in the small blind and the big blind will have already..
posted the first bets.
So here, you're going to be raising.
The question is: How much to raise?
Well, it's best to stick to a standard raise size for all of your hands -
somewhere between two big blinds and three big blinds -
you don't want to give away the strength of the cards you're holding.
What you must not do is bet based on the value of your hole cards.
For example, don't raise less with King-Queen suited...
than you would with Aces.
If you reveal these hands at showdown after the last betting round,
your opponents will immediately make the connection...
and they'll use that information against you in later rounds.
3-betting is the more common name for re-raising before the flop.
It means to put in the third bet. Think of it this way.
The big blind is the first bet,
the initial raise is the second bet, and the re-raise is the 3-bet.
You'll also hear about 4-betting and 5-betting, which...
is re-re-raising and re-re-re-raising.
And now you know why it's easier to use numbers.
Obviously, you can re-raise for value or as a bluff.
So, if a player at the table calls your raise - or re-raise -
you're now going to see a flop.
And as the preflop aggressor, the last person to raise,
you're expected to make a continuation bet.
Continuation betting, commonly known as C-betting is where the...
player who made the final raise in the previous betting round...
is the first player to bet in the next round.
Players often check to the aggressor, expecting them to bet.
C-betting for value works because if you connect with the flop,
or you think you still have the best hand,
it's time to build that pot.
C-betting as a bluff also works because even if you haven't connected...
with the board, you can pretend you have.
Let's say there's an Ace on the flop and you don't have an Ace.
You can bet here, hoping to convince your opponent you do have it.
Remember: you raised before the flop, and a lot of the hands you're...
likely to have done this with include an Ace.
But you shouldn't be mindlessly C-bet bluffing on every single flop.
The best times to do it are when there are no obvious draws,
and when there are very few players involved in the pot.
It's worth highlighting it isn't compulsory to C-bet and checking is not off-limits.
Now, let's switch things around.
If you're the player who called the original raise, you can take...
the initiative to bet first after the flop rather than checking to the aggressor.
This is called 'donk-betting' because inexperienced players...
might do it without thinking. But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing.
In situations where there are multiple players in the pot,
and several big draws are possible, the pre-flop raiser might just check back.
There are situations where donk-betting can be effective:
denying free cards and making your opponent pay to continue.
As always, you can do this for value or you can do it as a bluff...
if you think your opponents are likely to fold.
Even more exciting and threatening, however, is the check-raise -
Checking when the action's on you only to raise after a player...
behind you has bet.
This completely shakes up the order of things and strikes...
fear into the C-betting player, who might have been caught bluffing.
Now you know about various betting tactics,
you'll want to know about sizing your post-flop bets.
And as is so often the case, it comes down to position,
community cards, and the other players at the table.
But here are a few general guidelines...
On a dry board with few, if any, draws possible, you don't have to bet very big at all.
Because your opponent either has it or they don't.
25% to 30% of what's already in the middle is fine here.
If your opponent calls, there's a reasonable chance they've connected with the board.
You can use that information: whether it means continuing to...
bet for value or putting the brakes on your bluffing plans.
On a wet board, with draws aplenty, you might not be betting to bluff at all.
But where you have the best hand and want to keep it that way,
you should be betting more.
If there's a possible straight draw, 50% of the pot or a little over...
that amount will be a good value bet.
On a very wet board with straights and flushes in view,
that should creep up to 75% or 80%.
Against players you know to be weak,
who don't have any real understanding of odds,
you can opt to bump up those bets to 90 or even 100% of the pot...
to get even more value.
So, those are the basics of betting and raising from PokerStars.
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Also, leave us a comment, let us know which poker lesson you'd like to see next.
I'm James Hartigan. Thanks for watching.