What is the purpose of min betting?

ExLeper78

Hand History #506564009 (01:11 16/04/2012)

Player	Action	Cards	Amount	Pot	Balance
mary05	Small blind		200.00	200.00	5645.00
ExLeper78	Big blind		400.00	600.00	5930.00
	Your hole cards	2 A
even5tash	Fold
MICKAA	Fold
mary05	Call		200.00	800.00	5445.00
ExLeper78	Check
Flop
		5 5 4
mary05	Bet		400.00	1200.00	5045.00
ExLeper78	Call		400.00	1600.00	5530.00
Turn
		9
mary05	Bet		800.00	2400.00	4245.00
ExLeper78	Call		800.00	3200.00	4730.00
River
		K
mary05	Check
ExLeper78	Bet		800.00	4000.00	3930.00
mary05	Fold
ExLeper78	Muck
ExLeper78	Win		3200.00		7130.00
ExLeper78	Return		800.00	0.00	7930.00

I played my first game in a long time last night and have noticed a confusing trend. People love min betting. Here's an example from last nights game.

This was a deep stack game. People were min betting all over the place. I got in cheap on the BB. On the flop I'm faced with a daunting min bet. I'm not folding for that, so I call. On the turn they double the min bet, but with a pot of 2400 it's not quite enough to make me fold. On the river they check, so I try there strategy and put in a small bet. It works. They folded.

My point is... what's the point? They're just throwing their chips away. Is there a tactical reason for the min bet, or is it just a poor attempt at a bluff? I see it happening all the time and I don't get it.

Dudeskin8

You say he min bets on the flop but because you only have 15bbs behind it is actually quite big (in that you can not call imo) plus at any stage of the MTT it is still a half-pot bet which is fine.

For me when he does bet on flop you only have two options either shove or fold, and for me it is a clear shove with FD + GS + possible overcard, calling down is just leaking chips. 

Tbh I'm not really sure what the guy folded on the river maybe some weak medium pair but getting 5-1 on the river he should really call with a lot of hands, looks to me just like a guy clicking buttons then giving up. 

AMYBR

Think this is a poor example of min betting tbh.....

gracie24

It happens a lot in dym's where they have no hand and are trying a bluff on the cheap. On the first occasion re-raise and they either have it and call or they call anyway. Only when it is mathematically impossible for them to win do they just check their rubbish.

DOHHHHHHH

The purpose of any sort of bet is to get your opponent to react the way you want them to.

I don't suppose the min bet is any different!!

In the hand you posted I would shove the flop for value, I'm pretty sure I have the best hand, and doubt he will fold. 

AMYBR

Min raising/opening IP pre is fine from a healthy stack btw.

Min betting hrough streets is pointless... unless we are trying to induce certain action.  But that would be in very narrow plyer dependant spots.

In normal circumstances we should love people min betting into us.  Gives us so many more ways to play our hands/ draws or improve.  There are lvling issues obv tho.  Was in a T other day and this individual kept making hands and minning each street.  Obv temptation is to view it as weakness & raise.  But when so mny players view 1pr as the nuts and are betting for their notion of value........ can get messy

jugglegeek

This sort of play isn't that outrageous. What I find flabbergasting is at a cash table when the following happens. open raise from MP, I 3-bet from button and get a cold call from fish in big blind. MP folds then the fish bets one big blind into a 22BB pot.

Sometimes I wonder if people understand how to use the betting slider. That's a genuine question by the way. I wonder how many people try playing online poker and simply don't know that you can raise by more than the minimum amount but less than "all-in"?