Understanding the Poker Min-Raise: Key Information You Should Grasp

Min-raises often occur in poker games, making it important to recognize situations where they are applicable and how best to counter them.

Let’s start with a quick definition.

To clarify, there is a restriction on how low our raises can go in poker, with the smallest increase defined as a min-raise.

Typically, the min-raise is double the previous bet amount, although this isn’t a strict rule, so it’s crucial to be able to accurately determine min-raises.

Table of Contents

Calculating the Min-Raise

As a foundational rule, the very first bet in a betting round cannot fall below the value of one unit, or one small bet in limit poker. big blind All subsequent raises must be at least equal to the size of the last raise.

Example 1 – Betting on the Flop in No-Limit Hold’em.

Let’s see some examples.

When Player A places a bet of 4 big blinds, this is because no chips had previously been put into the pot at the beginning of the flop. Thus, Player A’s total wager has increased by 4bb.

Pot size 6.5bb.
Player A bets 4bb.
Player B?

If Player B decides to raise, he is required to increase his bet by at least another 4 big blinds , bringing the total to 8bb. Any lesser amount wouldn't be accepted.

Now, pause for a second and consider: what is the minimum raise size that Player A can make on the flop? Player B has raised Player A’s bet significantly beyond the minimum, specifically by 8bb.

Example 2 – Flop 3bet

Pot size 6.5bb.
Player A bets 4bb.
Player B raises to 12bb.
Player A?

For Player A to respond with a re-raise, he needs to raise by at least another 8 big blinds.

In this example, if Player A were to double Player B’s raise and go to 24bb, that would surpass the min-raise threshold. However, raising to 20bb would be sufficient to meet the minimum raise criteria.

Player A opens the betting from the button with a raise to 3bb.

Example 3 – Preflop 3bet

SB posts 0.5bb.
BB posts 1bb.
Situations like these often confuse players regarding what constitutes a min-raise. Let's analyze Player B’s min-raise (which is the 3bet) in this instance. Consider how much Player A has raised previously: was it 3bb? Not quite.
SB folds.
Player B?

Preflop The earlier wager was the mandatory 1bb big blind. Therefore, despite Player A raising to 3bb, his actual raise amounts to only 2bb. Hence, Player B only needs to raise by 2bb to meet the minimum raise standard.

Min-Raise Strategy

One prime example of effective min-raising is through bluffing with a min-raise when our opponent has been shown to fold regardless of raise sizes. This inflexibility implies that the Villain will fold at a consistent rate, making smaller raises far more profitable for our bluffs.

Min-raise Bluffing

Two commonly encountered situations that exemplify this are -

1) Opening a min-raise in an attempt to steal the blinds.

2) Raising against an opponent’s bet made on the turn.

While min-raise bluffs can theoretically occur at any point, they are most frequently seen on the turn. Raises on the flop tend to be larger, and there are fewer raises observed on the river.

Nevertheless, if our opponent is not adjusting their folding behavior according to the size of our raises, we could potentially use min-raises on any betting round. postflop Another situation where a min-raise might be strategically employed is when pursuing thinner value. Generally, raising larger makes it less likely for weaker hands to call our value bets. This tendency becomes particularly evident on turn and river, where many opponents will regard our raises with more respect.

However, this doesn't imply that we should automatically opt for a min-raise in every situation. Stronger hands typically aim for larger raises when feasible.

Min Raising for Thin Value

Thus, while the min-raise is a valuable tactic, using it inappropriately can lead to missed opportunities for value.

Dealing with Min-Raises

Encountering a preflop min-raise is vastly different from facing a min-raise on the river.

How should we respond?

Keep these pointers in mind as a baseline:

1. It depends on the street

The later the betting round, the stronger the min-raise likely is.

A min-raise preflop could come from anyone holding any two cards, whereas a river raise is usually indicative of a strong hand, potentially even the best possible hand.

In general, we should consider calling flop min-raises much more widely, but we ought to grant increased respect when faced with a turn min-raise. The pot size also plays a crucial role; a min-raise on the turn after a flop bet is more indicative of strength than a min-raise in a scenario where the flop is checked.

2. We should defend wider against min-raises compared to larger raises. Holdem Although some opponents might be min-raising with an overly strong hand range (especially in later streets), we must still defend our range broader than we would against bigger raises. Failing to do so opens up exploitative opportunities for our opponent, making their min-raise bluffs more profitable due to our frequent folding.

However, defending wider does not equate to reckless defending. For instance, while we might defend more broadly against river min-raises than river all-ins, we’d still maintain a relatively tight range in both cases.

Overview of Strategies for Min-Raises in Hold’em

A weaker player generally will have a slightly tighter hand range. Approach with caution and be ready to fold some hands preflop.

A min-raise on the flop (2bet) (in a single raised pot - SRP)

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