While not a fundamental in itself, the bet-fold is a tool that good players employ in order to get value in situations where they are usually best and will typically only get raised when beaten. It is an excellent way to keep pressure on your opponents and avoid falling into the passive trap of the check- call.
The bet-fold is employed in marginal spots where you may or may not have the best hand. Instead of checking and then playing a guessing game on whether or not you have the best hand, you instead bet with the intention of folding to a raise.
Everyone has been in the situation where the turn brings the ultimate scare card. Our hand is still strong, but it is now very possible that our opponent made a better hand. Most players would check behind and call a river bet in position or go for a check-call, check-call line out of position. This is the worst possible way to play the hand. By bet-folding the turn instead, only good things happen:
- Yougetanotherstreetofvaluefromworsehands.
- You give your opponent the option to raise the turn now with the best hand, allowing you to fold much more cheaply than check-calling two streets would cost.
- In position, you give yourself the option of setting the price of showdown, if your opponent calls your bet and then checks again on the river.
My charts are set up to follow an aggressive bet-fold line with all non-nut value hands. The best rule of thumb to remember is that if you are unsure of what to do, you should always bet.
