Revealing Bet Sizing SECRETS in Live Poker

There are many common bet sizing patterns that can occur at the mid to low stakes of live NL Hold'em. Bart goes over a few of these in today's call-in.
0:00 - Intro
1:24 - Preflop
2:02 - Flop
5:16 - Being Aware of Short Stacks
6:17 - Turn
9:07 - River
15:04 - Hero Decision
15:23 - Reveal
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[@JMTavares7]

A lot of fishy players play to feel good, and what makes them feel bad is being put in difficult spots where they have to fold a "good hand" or call and lose. His all in was neither a bluff nor a bet for value but a means to eliminate the potential pain of a bet from the hero, like ripping off a band-aid. No one admits to others, or even themselves that they play this bad, so he tells himself and others that it was a bluff after the fact.

[@bryanschneider8120]

This was very well put, and I think a very likely the psychological explanation for the river rip here

[@MrJoosebawkz]

exactly. I think one thing Bart lacks with hand reading (because I assume he probably plays in stronger player pools) is how emotionally driven a $1/$2-$2/$5 fish plays. This shove was pure fear. Fish min click check raises on the flop with nuts and with draws all the time bc they dont want to fold out top pair on the flop bc theyve been waiting hours if not weeks to finally hit their set. and they dont want to bloat a pot out of position w a draw because it’s scary. KQ is the last thing I’d put him on quite frankly. Bart always assumes that ever $1/$2 and $2/$5 fish understands why theyre betting and what theyre doing but the second somebody minclicks u really need to step back from theory a bit and really factor in the emotional mondset of a fish. obviously u need some theory bc that’s how u come to the conclusion on jack ten but u cant think of it too deeply bc then u end up like Bart who thinks you’d never see JT in a million years. And this is with all due respect. Bart is a great player and a good coach. I just think either he doesn’t play low stakes with bad player pools often _or_ he’s good enough at the game that he can still profit enough to not need to get in the heads of people like this and give them credit in spots like these.

[@Listman234]

Couldn’t have put it more perfectly. I was thinking this when at the end bart was like “so he thought he was just bluffing”and the guy said yeah. Like no this comment is exactly what he was doing lol.

[@Shiveringseas]

This makes sense, well put

[@ico2525]

One of the best comments on a hand I’ve read. JT makes more sense bc his hand improves on the river; he doesn’t know what to do, so he just rips it as to not be put in a tough situation.

[@Tapewars]

I always call snap jams on crazy board changing rivers, its always a bluff or tilted worse value hand.

[@jdearles1]

This is the way

[@JMTavares7]

Bart always mentions this but didn't in this hand oddly. It was the 1 reason to call.

[@danielniese535]

Yeah I was surprised he didn’t bring that up for this hand. I wonder why not

[@EllieBanks333]

I'd have been very suspicious. Snap jams on river cards that change the board so much. That jack of diamonds is like the ultimate nut changer & yet villain snap jams... highly suspect.

[@supersmoo7377]

My thoughts exactly - it’s as if villain decided on the turn already. When backdoor diamonds get there, and any king or eight get there, the speed of the snap jam on river is highly sus. It leans towards a bluff. Combine that info with the small check-raise on flop (would sets raise that small?), and it’s a call for me.

[@mattstieg5388]

Dare I say a front door flush hit river might be more dangerous to call vs the backdoor in micro. Certainly micro V may have a weaker flush than the nut that Bart holds good Vs to. Timing tell is legit at micro tho too.

[@Bawookles]

This is a good example of how hard it is to put amateurish players on hands, they will do things that don't make sense with their hands.

[@pot_kivach160]

it's not hard at all. When you know what you're doing. If H 3!bets flop, then that would be a game changer. Instead of calling the flop raise. I'd not called there. Either 3bet or fold. . BTW, I don't think V done an amateurish play, at all. On contrary, he played his opponent. And very successfully. It is H perception of V as a bizarre player. And that's only because H made all wrong decisions. So, now, yeah...blame the opponent who is just stacking your chips!

[@MrJoosebawkz]

Im always surprised the kind of credit Bart gives fish. I battle it out in the microstakes and those little tiny minclick backs definitely are NOT 90% weak theyre at _least_ 50/50 nutted vs a _fish._ Essentially they know theyre supposed to check raise some draws and their nuts. But they dont want you to fold the flop when they _finally_ hit a set and they don’t want to blot the pot oop with a draw that could easily be beat. same situation where bart is shocked it’s jack ten. Yeah, you’d never see a reg do that. Yeah, it makes absolutely no sense. But fish bet extremely merged where they’re somehow always trying to bluff off better hands and get called by worse. And ESPECIALLY in scary runouts where they bink a “premium” that could easily be beat they spazz the fuck out. In my opinion as somebody who used to be bad and played very emotionally, the more likely it is that their strong (TPTK+ but especially 2pairs and sets) can be cracked by some 1 liner or some bdfs the _more_ likely they are to just rip it. To me the only thing the villain could possibly have here was a set, Q9s, or jack ten. Ya there are some guys that think they have the nuts with top pair second kicker on the flop but that’s infinitely rarer then a fish minclicking JT

[@carlr2438]

Nah he hit this Helen Keller could see it

[@guillermoalvarez9400]

I see what you mean. I played in a small tournament this weekend, opened AA on the button for 3k with 1K BB got called by a loose fishy players in BB Flop is QJ9 and she opens shove. I had about 25K left in chips and she had me covered. I tanked for a bit and folded thinking this was either a 2 pair+ that wanted protection and afraid of more cards. Wasn’t the type to bluff off that much with a draw. So I folded. I was right that it was a vulnerable hand that wanted protection, but it was AQ.

[@ticenits1926]

​@@pot_kivach1603betting the flop just makes worse hands fold and better hands call

[@nysguy07]

I thought J10 on the flop but on the river that’s a tough call given the run out.

[@user-ty2wy2hq6o]

I am rebuilding my bankroll online playing low stakes full ring cash games. I watch these clips a lot, this is a brilliant study tool for aspiring cash game players, you can learn so much, the analysis is on point. I will say that one thing I notice again and again is how players use low size blocker bets with 1 pair or 2 pair inlow stakes cash games but they always overbet turn/river cards with sets or better. Bart mentioned about the blocker bet when he said that players bet less when they don’t know what to do with top pair or 2 pair, they bet about 30% pot under bet as a blocker stop bet, out of position.

[@silverblue233131]

I was screaming J10 right before reveal. I’ve seen this OVER and OVER in live poker at Oxford Downs near Ocala, Fl. People don’t see the diamonds until after they bet lol.

[@Svtzn32]

100% same. The minraise flop screams JT. I see that a lot. Then spazz river cuz they don’t know what to do

[@Getnodrama]

Bart, i tend to limp/call/check suited connectors, in every position as i want a maximum of players in. Could you elaborate about these ? Maybe id raise QJ suited in the cut off otherwise i dont raise preflop usually with connected cards. Id be super curipus to know your take on that ?

[@Williy_Nilly]

KQ makes the most sense based on villains aggression from the flop.

[@pot_kivach160]

maybe...maybe not? Would KQ small raise flop? Would KQ shove river???

[@Williy_Nilly]

@pot_kivach160 It's obvious he made this mind up on the flop to win the hand.

[@mrhumble2937]

Borgata my fav poker room. $5 parking can park right outside. Wish the caps were higher.

[@sleong]

The opponent made a GREAT play

[@Badbentham]

Personally, I really routed for Villain having A9dd. :Sad Pikachu Face.

[@ANTxWAll]

i was thinking Q8dd that picked up more equity on the turn & decided to bet small to jam river

[@a_canal]

DONT BE RESULTS ORIENTED trivial fold

[@EllieBanks333]

What hand do you suspect you are folding to?

[@1mindset1]

Good one. Pretty suicidal to jam into a range that contains all combos of KQ, some AK and some flushes (he doesn't even have a diamond xD) But I guess if he can put him on QJ, QT somehow through his feeling, then it's not a terrible bluff ! I think you would still have to call with your TT and JJ most of the time (that block diamonds), just because of the what the fuck factor in live poker (exactly what happens in this hand), and your straights obviously, fold 99, QJ, QT. I think it's a good fold Ted, nice hand.

[@ticenits1926]

Fish didn't put him on anything, he just jammed because he rivered two pair

[@Gos1234567]

@@ticenits1926 Yes and thought "im gonna jam before i can give him a chance to jam"

[@Fred-rg5vw]

Bart described villain play as awful however he got hero off the best hand..so you could argue he played it perfectly

[@dkastil]

What about Queen King? He could’ve definitely had that.

[@notNaB2024]

Poker terminology is so interesting, why do people tend to say he/she "leads" x amount when that player has the betting lead once hero just calls the raise?

[@genekboyer]

It's about the current street. Someone leads when they have first action

[@jamesforeman8028]

If he bet without the betting lead on the next street, people refer to that as “donk” betting

[@notNaB2024]

Yet you never hear "hero" saying "I lead out" bring out of position. Strange.

[@mepmep27]

Haven’t finished video yet but sometimes I’ve seen scared players click back sets on the flop. I can totally see a guy just clicking back if he’s moving up from 1-3 to 2-5. For two reasons. To not bloat the pot and to keep weak top pairs in.

[@JohnSmith-nx7zj]

Yeah I don’t see why a set couldn’t do this. V can then bet $200 on turn and then jam river.

[@pot_kivach160]

@@JohnSmith-nx7zj I don't see that: 1) small raise can give a good pot odds to the opp to outdraw you (straight). 2) He might also pick up more equity on turn (backdoor flash+open ender). For a small raise call, it's a profitable move. 3) (a set) jamming backdoor flashy river is a lose-lose. If the opp a) has it, he'll clean your stack; b) did not has it, he'll pay you nothing. I do not see winning there.

[@JohnSmith-nx7zj]

@@pot_kivach160 I made this comment having only watched the flop tbf. Whilst I don’t think it’s a great play on the flop, I see players do it quite a bit. Agree that they wouldn’t jam river though.

[@1vailchris]

Very hard to hand-read with bad amateurs. The only thing you can do on the river is think about all the possible hands that x/r flop and are improved on the turn and/or river. J10 is one of the few hands that makes some sense and that hero actually beats. Most bad amateurs aren't going to x/r flop with KQ or any hand with an 8 in it, and they're going to jam turn with their flopped sets and top two when the backdoor diamond draw comes, unless they pick up the diamond draw, so V's range on river is really polarized to flushes (probably Qd9d) or worse two pair combos. Most bad amateurs also aren't good enough to deliberately polarize by betting big with their good-run-out value hands. A lot are going to go smaller for value and bigger with their bluffs. The x/r flop, barrel turn, jam river line from V looks weaker than a rivered flush. It looks more like a hand that started strong but got weaker on the turn and river. It sucks, but I think you have to call here.

[@pot_kivach160]

what makes you think V is a bad amateur?

[@1vailchris]

@@pot_kivach160 Based on the caller's description and the action, he seems like a bad amateur. He's coming over from 1/3, buying in short, flatting from the BB with two limpers behind, min-clicking a check-raise on the flop, under-betting turn, and snap-jamming river. What else would we call him?

[@jacobbirkenfeld9261]

First. You been to twin river yet?

[@evingmadeez5008]

I was thinking KQ the whole way

[@jacobpage410]

The game is at the “Bortaga”

[@benjamintaylor8665]

Insta call..getting a tad nitry bart. Scared of monsters under the bed

[@jamesjones2675]

9 times out of 10, when something seems bizarre, it’s a bluff.

[@betadecay6503]

This wasn't a bluff. Dude just saw 2 pair and ripped it.

[@mrhumble2937]

Only 3 min in. Min click are strong might have 99.

[@jarrodfulton]

I doubt he thought he was bluffing

[@Simon-nv5zj]

Look on paper its 100% a fold. The jam from the villain is the typical, "Im really flustered now that EVERYTHING got there, I dont know what to do.....ALLIN". Its a response from a very weak/casual player put into a highly stressful situation. No way in hell this guy was bluffing with JT and he certainly was not valuing lol.

[@sean3533]

Little known fact Bart cut his teeth in live no limit holdem at Bortaga

[@gazorpazorp9798]

At 1/3 thats a good play by the villain. So sus otherworldly

[@gazorpazorp9798]

@@jonathansykes4986 Idk I find people rarely bluff all in on the River in 1/3. I have seen this be effective since other low stakes players are hard pressed to call that all in.

[@mattstieg5388]

Esp in micro it depends even more highly on read of the player type and action on that hand.

[@EllieBanks333]

@@jonathansykes4986 Maybe it's results oriented to say; but he did get hero to fold better. And he got Bart to fold also.

[@davidr1620]

It’s amazing how bad some players are. We’ve all made bad plays, but some players are totally oblivious. Sucks to make the right fold when you’re wrong, but these kinds of suckers are the reason why we play poker. You live to see another day and you take them for all their money later.

[@trucanes99]

Bingo

[@EllieBanks333]

Was it the right fold? What hand does the villain have here? I suppose KQdd. But does even that holding SNAP jam? That jack of diamonds changes the board texture sO much. What hand snap jams?

[@gabrielrockman]

The villain is beating AA and AQ, but he's losing to Diamonds, KK, KQ, 9-8, QJ, Q10, Q9, QQ, JJ, 10-10, 9-9, 2-2 and the less likely AK, KJ, K10, and 10-8. He's not getting diamonds or a king to fold, but he can get a lot of two pairs and sets to fold. And aside from AA or AQ, what hands can the villain beat? Maybe J-9 or 10-9? I like the villain's play here, especially since Bart agrees that Q-J should fold. When I look at what bluffs can the villain have here, I think J-10 is the second most reasonable hand to use as a bluff, aside from the Ace of Diamonds with a Queen or a 9 of non-diamonds. Villain has to have some bluffs here to balance with all his KQ or flush shoves for value, and I think J-10 should be one of the hands that he uses as a bluff.

[@gabrielrockman]

@johnnewman5428 Yes, but the hands he can beat like AA, J-9, and 10-9 probably also aren't playing the hand this way (plus he blocks J-9 and 10-9). It's very hard to find any hands that the villain can beat. Bart often talks about how frequently, you can check the river out of position instead of bluffing, and then your opponent will check it back, and you get to win. I don't think that will happen very often here.

[@Crypt0M0nkey]

This is a fold. I don’t care about the results. Don’t @ me.

[@fowlerjr3983]

Wrong 🌲

[@marknoble5495]

You make money making these calls against people you don’t know that ladder up from 1/3 to 2/5. They more than likely won their chips by bluffing and being overly aggressive in the lower game. Just my take anyway. I originally was worried about pocket deuces until the snap jam on river. I think making these calls against Saturday night rec players pays out big in the long run.

[@marknoble5495]

I mean how could he not be worried about you having a straight? If he got there then he got there.

[@marknoble5495]

I mean how could he not be worried about you having a straight? If he got there then he got there.

[@mrhumble2937]

He was bluffing, well he was behind

[@mattpitstick6884]

Button clicking at its finest