Poker bet sizing: how much to bet, and why
Updated November 2026
Bet as much as a worse hand will still call when you're ahead, and as little as will still get the fold when you're bluffing. Every size also sets the price your opponent gets, which is what the numbers below show.
What does your bet size do?
It sets his price. A small bet gives him a great price, so he can call with more hands. A big bet gives him a poor one, so more hands fold. It also decides how big the pot gets for the next round.
The chart shows the two numbers you need most: the share of the time he has to win to call, and the share of the time he has to fold for your bluff to work.
Half-pot bet
How much should you bet with a good hand?
- Go biggerHe'll call anythingAgainst a player who hates folding, make them pay the most they'll stand.
- Go smallerOnly worse hands can call a small betWith a medium hand, a big bet only gets called by what beats you.
- Go biggerDraws are aroundMake them pay to see the next card, and keep the price poor.
How much should you bluff with?
Use the size that a strong hand would use in the same spot. If your bluffs are smaller or bigger than your real bets, good players will notice.
A smaller bluff needs fewer folds and gets called more. A bigger one needs more folds and gets them more easily. How to bluff has the full table.
Folds needed
How do you size a river value bet?
Ask how often he'd call each size, then multiply. Say you have the best hand and the pot is $100. You think he'd call a $30 bet 60% of the time and a $75 bet 20% of the time.
The small bet earns $18 on average and the big one earns $15, so the small bet wins even though it risks less. It's a guess, and a guess with numbers on it is a lot better than a feeling.
Which bet earns more?
How should sizes change from flop to river?
- FlopOften small, because many hands are still in the running and you can bet again later.
- TurnBigger. Ranges have narrowed, and what you do now sets up the river.
- RiverPolarized. Bet big with very strong hands and bluffs, and check the hands in between.
When is a bet bigger than the pot right?
An overbet makes sense when you can have the very best hands and he can't. If he's already told you his range is capped, you can charge him far more than the pot.
A bet of one and a half times the pot asks him to win 37.5% of the time, and as a bluff it needs folds 60% of the time. Beginners rarely need this, but you should know what it means when it's done to you.
1.5 times the pot
What is a block bet?
A small bet on the river from a player who has to act first. It's made with a medium hand to set the price yourself, since checking might face a big bet you can't call.
A quarter of the pot only asks him to have 16.7%, so plenty of hands will call. It keeps the river cheap, and that's the whole idea.
A quarter of the pot
He needs to win one time in six.
How do stacks change your sizing?
Compare the stack with the pot. That number is called SPR, and it tells you how many bets are left in the hand. With an SPR near 4, a couple of normal bets get everything in. With an SPR near 18, you'd need several big ones.
So in a 3-bet pot you often bet small, because the stacks will go in anyway. In a single-raised pot with deep stacks, you may need bigger bets to get paid.
$200 stacks, $1/$2
Do live games need different sizes?
Yes, usually bigger. Live players call more before the flop and often pay off big bets later. A raise that would fold everyone online gets three callers in a $1/$2 game, so size up with your good hands and bluff less.
Same spot, two games
How do you plan bets across three streets?
Decide where you want the money to end up, then work backwards. If you want all the chips in by the river, the same share of the pot on each street gets you there. Players call this a geometric bet size.
The tool below works it out from the pot, the stack behind and the number of streets left.
$20 pot, $200 behind, 3 streets
How big should a preflop raise be?
Online, 2.5 big blinds is normal when everyone before you folded. In a live game, $10 to $15 at $1/$2 is common because people call more. Add 1 big blind for each player who limped in.
Preflop raises
What size fits each hand on this board?
- A strong hand on K-7-2Bet half the pot and keep going. Worse kings will pay you on every street.
- A medium hand on K-7-2Bet small or check. A big bet only gets called by kings.
- A bluff with an ace on K-7-2The same small size as your strong hands, so nobody can tell them apart.
What are the common sizing mistakes?
- Big when strong, small when weakEveryone at the table can read that.
- Too small with a big handYou leave money behind that a worse hand would have paid.
- Too big with a medium handOnly better hands call, and worse hands fold.
- Always the same sizeThe right size depends on the board and the player.
- Forgetting the next streetA small bet now can leave too much behind for the river.
Can you size it?
Twelve spots in three rounds.
Questions players ask about bet sizing
What is a good default bet size?
Half to two-thirds of the pot on most flops, and a third on dry ones.
Is an overbet ever right?
Yes, when you have very strong hands and bluffs and your opponent has few strong hands. It's an advanced play.
Should I bet the same with bluffs and value?
On the same board, yes, or you give it away.
What is the minimum bet?
The size of the big blind in no-limit.
Should I always bet the same percentage?
No. Using two or three sizes works better than one, as long as your choice depends on the board and the hand range, and not on your exact cards.
How much should I bet with a draw?
About what you'd bet with a strong made hand on the same board, so your bets don't give it away.
How the numbers on this page were worked out
For a bet of b times the pot, the caller needs b / (1 + 2b), a pure bluff needs b / (1 + b) folds, and the balanced share of bluffs is b / (1 + 2b). For a pot P, a stack S and n streets, the geometric bet size is ((1 + 2S/P)^(1/n) − 1) / 2 of the pot.
Know someone who always bets the same amount?
Send them this page, or save the table.