Poker Concorde

Bet sizes are important in poker and can often tell you much about the strength of an opponents hand. You must be aware of course that bets can often be made with the intention of misleading your judgement on an opponents hand strength, but where there is rational planning and thought behind betting, the truth of a situation can be uncovered.

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Generally speaking, small bets would seem to indicate uncertainty. The fact that a player is not commiting more chips to their hand would appear to indicate that they are unsure if they are winning, but this is not always the case. Sometimes a player can feel it is best to bet small in order to ensure they don’t force players out of the pot when they have a very strong hand. Consistent bets of a average size on each round of betting will generally mean that your opponent is trying to build a pot, and so be wary of this type of bet, because if you call the first bet, and another one is made on the next betting round, it is unlikely to be an outright bluff, although it could be a big draw of some sort.

The large bets are always the most exciting in poker. All in bets and ones which commit a large amount of chips, always show strength and are most likely to force a fold. If a bet such as this is made without any prior betting, you would be tempted to think a bluff is being made, but you have to consider the card which has provoked the bet and how it might have made an opponents hand. I would say that most often, a strong hand has usually been developing on the flop, and has often been completed on the turn or river. This will mean there is a betting pattern leading up to the final big bet to give you guidance. No matter what the obvious situation is wit a large bet from an opponent, it is always best to keep an open mind about the possibilities.