Standard Bets for Poker Beginners

If you’re new to the poker world or just wanting to make your bets a little more consistent, there are some standard amounts that you can consider. Sure, bets change from hand to hand, but for the most part, you can learn some of these basic values and apply them to your game so you look a bit less like a donkey. Overbetting and underbetting are both signs of someone who doesn’t know the game. Follow the tips below so you don’t look like that person.

Pre-Flop Raises
If you are going to raise before the flop, three times big blind is the standard. That means that if the big blind is 20, you would raise it to 60. If someone has already raised, the standard is to raise it three times their raise, so the 60 would be raised to 180. This may lead to an all in eventually, but go through the raising first.

Value Bets
If you want to just make a bet to see what the other person has, you need to at least make it the same as the bet you had the previous round. For instance, if you didn’t catch the flop at all and you bet three times blind the round before, you would bet that same amount again just to see if the other person re-raises you or folds. If the person does re-raise you, then you can get out of the hand but still leave knowing you were the aggressor.

Half or Two Thirds Pot
Most of the time a bet in a hand will be half or two thirds the size of the pot, depending of course on the size of the pot and the circumstances of the hand. Nevertheless, you’ll look like a donkey if you bet a really small amount into a really huge pot, so at least bet one third of it. If not, then don’t bet at all. See what the other person says and then respond accordingly.