Exercise Pot Control with Min Bet
I had a large chip stack and was in the BB with 4/6 off suit. It was a multiway limped pot and I checked my option. The flop came out: 2-5-6 with 2 spades.
With a gut-shot and top pair I decided to lead out and see where the table was at. I figured I didn’t need to bet too much to get information, so I just min bet for 40. A guy then reraised me to 140, everyone else folded, and I flat-called to get heads up. This was something like an out-of-position float. It was designed to slow down my poker opponent.
The turn came a 3-flush card, I think the Js. I again led for a min bet, but this time he flat called. This is interesting. I now know he is scared of the flush and a bit uneasy about his hand. I can probably win this hand at the river with a decent bet.
The river is magical. It’s the 4s. Not only does it put 4 spades on the board, but it gives me two-pair. I’m pretty sure I have the best hand now, and I’m positive my online poker opponent does not like all the spades. I lead for I think 220, like 1/3 of the pot, and he mucks.
He could have had nothing and was just posturing on the flop, and then I made such a small bet on the turn he felt like seeing the river for the heck of it. But if he did have a hand, I feel like I used the min-bet as a great indicator of the strength of his hand.
Firstly, I got him to re-raise me on the flop. If I check call his bet, which might have been smaller, I don’t put any suspicion into his mind that I have a hand. The min bet is very suspect. Then when I call his raise and lead again with the min-bet, I absolutely confuse him. When he fails to raise me on the turn, I know he is uncomfortable and I have taken control of the pot, in both size and power.
Sometimes, with the right board texture, all you need to do is create a situation where you’re opponent gets lost in the action, and the min bet can be a cheap way to accomplish this in a casino.
