I'm not sure if this is a leak, but notice I do it quite often and almost half of the time I do get paid off.

The scenario:

1/2 full ring game deep stacked. HU by the river.

I am oop, have been the aggressor in the hand, have made at least top 2 pair/set/straight by the river but the river has completed a flush draw. I usually lead out a value sized bet. Something like 30 or so into a pot of 100-150. Why?

1. If villain has top pair good kicker or a 2pair when I have a straight, I want to bet for value. I don't want to check and have him check back when he otherwise would have paid off a value bet.

2. If I check, and villain senses weakness, it gives V a chance to bluff and rep the flush with a big bet and I fold the better hand.

3. If I have a straight, check, and V bets 60-75 into a 120 pot, and he is capable of doing this with air after sensing weakness, I MIGHT look him up and call. But, if I bet out first 30, and he raises to 75-100, I can fold more easily (since Vs don't usually bluff here, they usually have a hand when they raise in these spots) and only lose the 30 vs losing the 60-75.

Thought on my thoughts?

You're talking about a blocker bet. The idea being that you bet a small amount that either gets easily paid off to a cheap showdown or can easily fold to a raise.

It's a good bet, but balance it with bigger bets and checks.

You never have to worry about balance at 1/2.
Players at that level don't pay enough attention
To worry about balance

In my experience blocking bets work reasonably well at 1-2 and rarely work at 2-5.

If your opponent is at all aware, they will raise your blocker bet, but average players will raise only with a (good) flush.

If villains don't usually bluff raise then you should frequently bet/fold for value with almost all two pair+ hands. I assume you're against typical 1/2 villains that call down with top pair.

It depends on the situation, of course, but I'd say the sizing is a leak of you do this a lot. Don't be overly afraid of the flush and make a normal value bet. If V's don't call enough for this to be profitable then bluff them more.

Word.

Also, you seem to be sizing your bet to the strength of your hand. Also, you seem to be offering a cheap show which benefits everyone at the table but you.

I think under sizing your bets and being over obsessed with being bluffed are probably small leaks.

At 1/2 the small blocker bet won't usually be exploited cuz they don't bluff enough. Against toughr opponents the small sizing might actually induce bluffs.

But for the same reason chk/call usually won't be correct cuz they don't bluff enough to make bluff catching profitable on average. But if you have reason to believe a guy will bluff, snapping him off is obv more profitable than blocking him.

I'd say you could profitably experiment with increasing your bet size in some of these spots and pay attention to what you are being looked up by.

Yeah this is fine vs fish. DO NOT blocker bet against good players. This is probably one of the top things i abuse ABC players on. easiest raise ever.