If you want to maximize your profits at the table, you must learn to incorporate value bets into your strategy. It entails reading your opponents and showing them the right face to make them assume what you want them to assume. The only good value bet is one where an opponent doesn’t know that it was a value bet. This type of play takes a lot of experience to master.

First of all, you must observe, study, and know your opponent. This is especially true when you’re playing in a poker room where you’re likely to see the same opponents often. If its available, use the note feature of the poker room to keep track of who is loose or tight, who is passive or aggressive. This will help you identify who will likely fall to what tricks and plays.

The reverse is true of course, that as you observe them, you are also being observed. If players often fold, but never when you bet, you don’t have any respect and it means that people think you play too loose. Learning what others think of you and acting differently than people would expect is a good way to make it harder for people to know what you have. Learn to observe not only your opponents but learn to also observe yourself through the eyes of an opponent. If you can do this, you will be a better value better.

Learn to bet the right amount especially on the river. If you look weak, your opponent will call more often and beat you more often. If you bet too much, your opponents are likely to fold without giving you any more chips. A good rule of thumb is to bet near half the current pot. Many players will recognize it as a value bet, but it can also appear as bluffing.
Betting on the river means you either feel you have a great hand or you want your opponents to give you credit for a great hand. By carefully observing the habits of your fellow players, you’ll learn to recognize the difference and will learn when to call and when to fold.

Of course, your poker will only improve with experience. You’ll have to learn not only the tricks that exist, but you’ll also learn when to use them, how to maximize them, and how to identify who will call and who will fold. As you learn to observe your own play, you’ll learn what your opponents will think of it, and how to adjust to your image for maximum benefit.