Poker is a game in which mathematics has a lot of weight, as well as strategy and probability. Luck also plays a role, since chance is the essence of a game that determines the players’ chances based on the cards of their initial hands.
But intelligence, resource management and the judicious use of funds or chips also play a crucial role. Therefore, in this article we are going to make a brief tour of the most important aspects so that you know how to bet in poker.
Manage your bankroll
This is something transversal, that is, it is mandatory at any stage of the game. Burning chips without order or concert is something that will push you to the precipice, and that is exactly how not to bet in poker.
Instead, a calm game, based on calculations, with bankroll management from minute one and based on conscientiously made decisions for each bet is the right way to bet. The BRM, or bankroll management, is the basis of the continuity of any player, and without it it is impossible to advance no matter how much you soak in poker theory.
Have absolute control of your tells
This is important. As some lawyers say, “it is not only important to tell the truth, but to tell it in a way that makes it seem so”. It’s the same with betting. A bet made with a good hand with a mastery of your body language is not going to be perceived the same way as a confusing one.
If it is deliberately confusing, perfect, it means that you have total control of your tells. But when that confusion is uncontrolled, and you don’t even know what you are transmitting… danger.
If you want to know how to bet in poker, combine this total control of your tells with a proper management of your bankroll, and you will have the perfect base to work with and grow as a player.
Count your outs
Odds and outs often go hand in hand. Counting your outs is elementary to know how likely your hand is to win the round, something that, obviously, will condition your way of betting. It will do so both in the amount (call or raise), as well as in the fact that the bet will materialize or not.
That is why it is important to know when to bet in poker, in what amount and if it is convenient to do it, of course. If your intention is to bluff, setting the tempo of your play is basic for it to work out well. But the count of outs is what many times will determine the possibility or not of betting.
Do not start from the basis of bluffing
Getting fully into the game by bluffing is doomed to failure. Bluffing should only be a resource when you see that the game lends itself to a credible and convincing play that can be maintained over time.
But none of this will help you if you don’t have a total control of your tells, if you don’t know how to measure your bets and if you don’t have enough training to keep track of your outs. All this will help you, if necessary, to form the basis for a bluff.
At the beginning, it is better not to play too many hands
It is as important to know how to bet as when to bet in poker. And in the early rounds it is crucial to have control of your bets by playing few hands. Statistics are on your side: approximately only 1 out of 10 hands is convenient to play, the rest are a pit of losses.
How many times can you bet in poker? It is a logical question when talking about playing few hands. The truth is that there is no valid answer to this question, but it is a proven fact that playing many hands is fruitless and counterproductive.
Watch out for raises and re-raises
When an opponent has you on the felt, it is possible that he wants to push you to a raise or re-raise when he knows he has the hand won so that it costs you more money to stay and squeeze you as much as possible. How many times can you raise the bet in poker? It depends a lot on each situation.
In poker we have raises and re-raises (3-bet). That is, at most you can raise a bet twice: when you raise, and when you re-raise. But this is not always convenient, and it is advisable to analyze the play of others before betting chips that you may not see back.
Betting the right amount will give a better impression of you
Thanks to your ability to bet at the right times, the table will get an image of you that will benefit you during the game. Because when you speak, you will be forceful, and your bets will be taken seriously if you know how to choose which hands to play. It’s a good way to X-ray your style, something that will make others need to analyze you to be sure that going with you in the round is a good idea.
That is why it is so necessary to know how many times you can bet in poker. By proxy, you can bet on every hand, but that, besides making you lose money or chips, will be the worst way to present yourself. Your image of strength will fade if you do that.
On the other hand, if you are restrained and know when to put your chips in play, you will create an image of yourself that will suit you fantastically well. That’s why it’s important to know how many times you can bet in poker, how much you can bet and how to control tells to avoid giving away your intentions. Poker in its purest form.