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Free Poker Online Games Education Guide To How To Value Bet Featuring A Pro Game Hand Example
This poker free online training lesson is about how to apply the concept of value betting, to illustrate it I'm using a real life pro game as a hand example. Read through to find out who won and how.
This free poker education article is for intermediate and above players. If you're not sure on the terms and concepts bookmark it and come back later after taking some beginner steps and practicing on free poker online sites in order to get the concepts nailed.
On a table where there is, for example, a Straight, like 7-8-9-2-J, what might you do if you have 9 and 8? If your opponent checks, would you also check? Most of us may, because your opponent may have, say, A-10 and hung on the Turn only to try to trap on the river. But if determine that he likely does not have a 10 you can value bet in order to squeeze more chips from him or her. Here is an example of a similar hand:
This hand was shown on the Turn. (Pot approx. 250k)
Each player checked at the Flop
Both checked, possibly as they figured their hands to be too weak for a table showing Straight and Flush possibilities. One could be on a draw and the other might be unwilling to continue with only one Pair.
The Turn: 9d-6d-10s-9s
A has ??-??, checks
B has ??-??, bets 200k
Now perhaps B has a gutshot or Flush draw and wants no more problems with A. What actions can A make?
A raises to 600k
B calls 400k (Pot now 1.45m)
Now A’s check-raise may reinforce B’s belief that A has a made hand, like 9-x or a high Pair, but B may be on a draw, so B calls. Plus, as the pot is already big B can afford to call (400,000 in a 1.05m pot) should he have a Straight, Flush draw, even an overpair (which seems likely) or a Pair with a draw, even if he thinks A has a 9 (B might also possess the last 9 with a Flush draw).
The River: 9d-6d-10s-9s-8c
A bets with 1m
Even on a dangerous Board with a Straight draw (but without any more Flush possibilities), A bets. However A cannot afford to push B all in on such a table but it does make a good value bet scenario. Why?
1. A bets because if B has a hand and if B bets, then A will be put on a decision. Naturally A does not want that to occur. He has shown strength on the Turn when he check-raised; therefore he wishes to be consistent. His goal then is to force B to a decision point. He wants B to think if he has the Eight than give his opponent the opportunity of making him do the hard thinking.
2. Furthermore, A bets because check-calling has the same effect as betting and then getting called. Betting and being called, is a more aggressive option.
3. A wants to get additional value for his Trip Nines. As long as he believes that B has a decent hand but not a strong one, he will bet to get chips from B, who has played passively from Flop up to now (checking after he checked on the Flop, betting small then calling a raise on the Turn). The result if B folds with no hand is that A will win the pot. If B calls and the estimate by A of his hand is correct then he'll get more chips than if he just checked and B only checked (this is what passive players do).
4. A you should know is a top class player. He may be bluffing, but he doesn’t want it to be obvious. So he disguises bluffing as value betting. He hopes that B will be fooled, especially in a Board in which a bluff may work well against marginal hands (paired Board and one off a Straight).
B calls with 1m
Now B calls. B may have a decent hand which is good enough for showdown. A’s value bet gives him about 2.5-to-1 on a call (1m more to win a 2.45m pot) which B may consider to be sufficient enough for a pay-off with, say, A-10 or even a small Pair. So what hands are they holding?
A shows Jh and 9h
A correctly rounded off the respective hand strengths of his and B’s hands; this gave him sufficient confidence for a value bet. A more passive player will just check-fold or check-check.
B mucks
So what was B holding, and what could he have made? He may have K-K, Q-Q, or A-10, and just slowed down when he saw a Board conducive for a Straight and Flush development, as well as a Pair. B may also have a small Pair, where he thought was the best hand, and just decided to pay off. Whatever it may be it's a made hand and possible could not help wonder what A was holding - and who is A? That’s right; it’s Phil Ivey. Perhaps B figured the check-raise at the Turn and bet at the River was bluffing whereas in fact it was Phil playing aggressive and accurately reading hands.
So get practising your poker value betting and learn how to bet better in poker games by applying the ideas in this free online poker training article. And if you're not already playing free poker practice games at NoPayPOKER get started today, it's utterly free and risk free and is US player legal even by the latest 2011 definitions!
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