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The Value Bet in No Limit Hold’em

published on 06/08/06 at 10:18 am

No Limit Hold’em is a game of endless excitement, big bets, wallet making or breaking decisions, and some of the most intense “edge of your chair” action that can be found anywhere in the poker world. There are many times on or before the river that you are compelled to bet with what may or may not be a beatable hand. Many hands can be won simply by betting strongly enough to force someone else out of the pot. However, you will occasionally find yourself in the position of knowing that you have the best possible hand. This is where the value bet comes into play.

A value bet is a bet, usually made on the river, that has the intention of just getting paid off. This is a widely known term for anyone who spends time at the tables, but it is a strategy that I often see ignored. I don’t know if it’s the “heat of the battle”, or maybe one too many viewings of huge all-in moments that pay off. Whatever the reason, I feel that it is a very important concept to understand and follow. Here is an example from a home game I was recently part of. The names have been changed to protect the ignorant (hehe). We have been playing a .25/.50 NL cash game and it was about an hour into it.

SB, BB post, UTG folds, Frank raises to $1.00, folds around to Tom who calls, folds around to BB who calls. 3 Players to the flop. ($3.25 pot)

***Flop***

BB checks,
Frank checks,
Tom bets $2,
BB folds,
Frank calls. ($7.25pot)

***Turn***

Frank checks,
Tom also checks. ($7.25pot)

***River***

Frank checks,
Tom moves all in (about another $35),
Frank folds.

At this point Tom shows his 8s 8h for quads saying, “I was hoping you hit that flush.”

To which Frank replied, “I did” and reached back into the muck to pull out his Js 9s. “Just wasn’t big enough to call you.”

I later had a chat with Tom about his play, and his response was “Quads, man, blah blah blah.” What Tom failed to recognize was that his only hope for getting paid off on that bet was if Frank was holding the nut flush. All of Frank’s moves were similar to someone on a draw so Tom’s read was correct. This is where a value bet can be put into place. Instead of always trying to double up on your monster hands (which would be great if it always happened), sometimes placing a smaller “value bet” will give you a better chance of getting paid for your hand. Frank had a weak flush, but I guarantee that he would have called a bet of $5, maybe even $10 (though not as likely). Winning an extra $5 in a pot may not seem like a lot, but like everything else in poker the results are measured in the long run and a few extra dollars in a pot add up to a lot of money in the long run. That is what makes a “Value Bet” such an important concept to understand and put to use.

Frequenicity is an amateur poker enthusiast whose experience spans a multitude of games. He is always happy to accept questions and suggestions for future topics via private messaging through the PokerPlasm Forums.

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