Phil Galfond Explains the Strategy Behind Small Bets in Poker

Phil Galfond has been writing articles about poker strategy for nearly a year. He recently published a two-part article on small bets, which we are excited to share with you.

Small Bets in Poker

Small bets are often used to control the pot size without inflating it too much. This strategy was popularized by Daniel Negraneau, but in the era of solvers, small bets are used more frequently. Galfond explains that small bets are used to make profitable bets with hands that cannot profitably bet large.

The Minimum Defense Frequency (MDF)

The minimum defense frequency (MDF) shows how often you need to call or raise to prevent your opponent from profiting from bluffs. Galfond uses an example to illustrate this concept. If you bet the pot on a board with a certain range, your opponent needs to call 50% of the time to prevent you from profiting. However, if you bet a third of the pot, your opponent needs to call 75% of the time, making it a more profitable bet.