Value BettingTips

Learning how to value bet effectively, changes a player from a marginally winning player to a solid, profitable online poker player. Value betting is simply a bet to get more money into the pot, hence adding value.

There are a few factors to consider before opting for a value bet, which will be listed below. They include the view of your opponent and you, which all change the correct amount the bet should be.

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If your opponent believes you are a tight player, it is likely they will be less willing to call to a normal sized value bet. Therefore you have to make a bet which gives them no choice but to call, due to the mathematics of the hand. Giving them good pot odds will make them more likely to call your bet, regardless of what they believe you are holding.

Your opponent's hand

This factor is pretty simple. The stronger they feel their own hand is, the more chips they will be willing to risk. This means the bet should increase depending on how your opponent views his own hand, which can be shown through their earlier play.\

Your opponent's aggression

If your opponent is highly aggressive, they will be less willing to let their hand go, meaning the amount of your value bet can increase. If they are much tighter players, they will be more ready to let their hand go if they feel you have them beat, meaning a smaller value bet is needed.

Previous encounters

If you have already faced the same player many times in big hands previously, they will have a distinct amount of information on you. This means you should probably mix your play up somewhat and ensure you do not make the same sized bets you had made before.

Value betting is a tough poker tool to master and getting it wrong can cost you hundreds of big blinds each and every session you play, which easily adds up over time. By value betting too much, the less your opponents will play, meaning you will lose out on big pots. By value betting too less, you won't be building pots to their full potential, again meaning you will be losing money by not building the pots big enough.

For example, say you play at $1/2 NL. Say in an average session you miss out on 50 big blinds by not value betting properly, and on average you play 1 session a day. This means in a month you will have missed out on $3000 a month. A big sum for any poker player.