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One of the best ways to earn big pots in buy in or free poker online games is to know when and how much to bet.

Easier said than done of course and one of the biggest mistakes I see in relation to this lofty goal is over-betting. Here are the sort of scenarios where you might fall foul of this and my suggestions of how to play them out well.

If you have a good hand and figure you are ahead you want to keep someone else in the pot to build it up. Sometimes this backfires and you get outdrawn. It’s poker after all.

There may well be a time where you don’t want to be outdrawn so make sure that you play your poker game accordingly.

For Example:
You are in third position, (three seats after the small blind), with pocket sevens (7 diamonds, 7 hearts). You raise three times the big blind and get two callers, the button and the big blind. The flop comes 7-clubs, 8-clubs, 9-diamonds. This is good and bad. You hit your trips, but there is a flush draw and a straight draw. What to do?

What I would do….
#1. If the blind bets, say minimum or twice the blind, I would raise the minimum to see how the button reacts. If he calls, and the blind calls, I can assume they are on a draw and I have the best hand. For now. If either one re-raises I fold.

#2. If the blind checks I would bet four times the blind amount, again to see where I am. Now if the button calls or raises I can assume he has a strong drawing hand, such as two big clubs, or he has a made hand. If the blind also calls I can assume I am way behind. Still, there should be enough money in the pot to justify a call hoping to fill up on the turn.

I have made my mind up to check, no matter what the turn is. If the turn is a 6 or 10 and the blind makes a big bet, I will fold, if the blind decides to check then I will check. If the button then decides to bet the pot or bigger, then I will fold. This way, I am still in the game even if I have lost some chips.

Whether playing free poker online or pay poker, the over betting I have seen in situations like this is that the trips bet 80% to 100% (all-in) of their stack regardless of the flop or their position. If one of the other players flopped a straight you are in big trouble. The only way out is to get very lucky and hit a boat, otherwise you are out of the game.

The thing to remember is that if you have gone all-in, you cant change your mind later! If you are new to poker then I would advise you spend some time playing free poker. This should help you improve your game no end and help you move on to big money games.

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