This overview article will help us understand such an important definition as value in poker. Let’s start with the fact that in translation from English into Russian, Value means several concepts, namely, the value, cost or value of something. In poker, value is the desire to increase the value and value of the pot in the game. And we will talk about how players extract value for themselves in more detail.Collage: My Lucky StoryProbably everyone knows that the goal of any player at the poker table is not just to win, but to win as much as possible – to take a very large pot of the game. And the bank, as we remember, is filled with the bets of the players – mandatory, meaning the small and big blinds, or antes and voluntary – which are made by the participants during the bidding process. Deriving Value in Poker The technique of deriving value in poker is the art of getting the most out of your hand. Players acquire it in the process of practice, improving their game and results, respectively. Experienced poker players treat every bet they make as a value bet. And all of them are aimed at increasing the bank of the game, which can potentially go to the best of them, if he wins. Value betting in poker A value bet or value bet is a strategy that the player with the strongest hand uses to not only win the hand, but to provoke his opponent to bet as much money as possible in order to increase the size of the pot that is being fought for. Correctly made decisions of the player can increase his winnings many times over. But in order to achieve this, you need to be well versed in situations at the table, in the behavior and style of play of your opponents, and of course, be confident in the strength of your hand relative to other players. In order to “persuade” your opponent to invest as much as possible in the pot of the game, you yourself will need to bet and answer with raises, a restrained call or check is not very suitable here, it makes no sense if you decide to make a value bet. Sometimes you can resort to slowplay, but only sometimes. We are aware that a predictable reaction or the same type of decisions can work against you in poker. Raising (raising) for value Raising a bet made by the opponent in order to extract value may not work, that is, the opponent may be afraid to continue trading and simply fold – fold his cards. So the raising player will receive only the previously formed bank. This means that raises should be made without frightening your opponent. To understand which of the options for raising will be optimal, we need to take into account the following circumstances: the opponent’s playing style, we already know that a tight player does not like risk and raises, but those who use an aggressive or loose style of play participate in the auction much more actively, which is already on the board or table structure. We understand that community cards can very directly hint at the likelihood of a strong hand for a raiser. Already on the flop, it is sometimes clear that someone at the table is likely to have a straight or a flush. Keep an eye on your opponents’ range of hands as well as the community cards on the board. It is unlikely that opponents will call your raise if it is clear from the board and his previous action that his hole cards are weak. When it comes to optimal raise sizes for value, there are several basic options – minimum raise, medium raise, and high raise. Let’s take a closer look at them: The minimum raise size – you need to make a small raise if your opponent does not like to take risks or you are not yet sure that he has a strong enough hand. The minimum raise will not only save us from someone else’s fold, but it can also “persuade” the opponent to reraise (overraising your raise), which means that the pot will increase – that’s value. An average value raise size is optimal for a situation where you are sure that your opponent has a strong enough combination and intends to play it further, especially if it is in his style. A large value raise – when the bet exceeds the size of the pot (pot) is allowed in those specific cases when you are sure that your opponent will call you and not fold. Let’s say your opponent has a full house, flush, or straight and is set to go to showdown, but your hand is stronger. Here the desire of the opponent will play into your hands. The main goal of raising or raising for value is to get the maximum possible profit by increasing the pot of the game. And here it is very important not to scare the opponent with the size of his raise – he should not make a pass and thereby deprive us of part of the hypothetical win. Try to keep an eye on the players at the table to find the optimal value bet size. Any value bet is a strategic move, which means that your action should be thoughtful and logical. Weigh the potential of your opponents hands, watch their determination and, of course, the structure of the board. You need to be especially careful on the final street of poker – on the river, often there are participants with very good hands and tuned in to get to the showdown. By choosing the size of the raise and making the right decision regarding your combination, you can significantly increase the size of your potential winnings.
