Pot control vs value bet

[Tjorriemorrie]

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...;gonew=1#UNREAD

regarding the topic heading, not quite sure i understand the difference between the two...or that it can 'vs'?

can someone plz maybe explain it to me. thanks!

[raistlinx]

It mainly has to do with the strength of your hand currently and how likely/unlikely it is to improve.

With a hand like AA suppose you raise pf from ep and the button calls. The flop comes 27Q rainbow, you "value bet" because you feel you still have the best hand and want to get more money into the pot. But suddenly the button plays back and raises you. You have to try and imagine what he might have, or "put him on a hand". This depends alot on the player but this is a situation where you are either way ahead or way behind (WA/WB). This means if your opponent has something like AQ, JJ or a bluff you are WA because he only has 2 outs to beat you. Likewise if he has 77 you are WB because you only have 2 outs to beat him. Now (unless you have a read on your opponent) you need to switch to "pot conrol mode". If you have have the best hand your opponent is unlikely to put much more money into the pot (if he is a decent player), if you don't you can lose your stack (assuming you are playing NL)

On the other hand if the flop had come KJ8 with a flush draw you would have to play your AA faster because he could be raising you back with something like TP+FD.

Hope this helps.

[phydaux]

You use pot control to keep a pot small without showing weakness. You usaully do this with a good-but-not-great hand like TPTK.

You value bet when you have a hand that is likely to be best at showdown. Hands like sets.

[AKQJ10]

The two are essentially polar opposites - value betting is extracting money by getting calls from inferior hands, whereas pot control is conceding the more remote possibility of getting calls for value in return for keeping the pot small. Pot control is closely related to inducing inferior hands to bet at you (whether as a bluff or because they may now believe themeselves to be best).

People have already cited "classic examples" so I'll keep mine brief. I often will check a strong one-pair hand (overpair or TPGK) on the turn in position unless the board is highly coordinated, because I'm going to be willing to call a small bet in a small pot on the river, but I don't want to be calling a big bet in a big pot.

But it's entirely opponent-dependent. In like $1-2 TPTK is an excellent hand. People will call three bets all day with a lesser hand. So pot control isn't really desirable, because it gives up too much value from medium-strength hands.

Note also how important position is to pot control. I don't think I've ever heard the term used OOP, actually, because it's so closely related to checking behind. Maybe you could check/call rather than bet for pot control, but you're still forced to call turn and river bets to get to showdown.

[_TKO_]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm going to be willing to call a small bet in a small pot on the river, but I don't want to be calling a big bet in a big pot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well phrased.

[Tjorriemorrie]

Thanks for all your help!