Lesson overview
Threat of Future Bets (Leverage)
A flop bet means more when villain knows two more bets are coming
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Inside the full lesson
Why does a 30% pot flop bet sometimes generate more EV than a 50% pot bet?
In the full lesson, you work through this scenario with interactive examples.
A bet today isn't just a bet today. It's a promise — or a threat — of bets tomorrow. When SPR is high enough, your flop bet implies a turn bet implies a river shove. Villain has to call ALL THREE to get to showdown. That compounding pressure is leverage. Master it, and small flop bets generate fold equity that big bets can't.
What you’ll learn
- How SPR determines leverage (the 5+ threshold)
- Why barrel sizings should leave a credible river bet behind
- How to identify high-leverage moments in your own hands
From the full lesson
SPR and the leverage threshold
Referenced activities and other examples are available in the full lesson after sign-in.
Stack-to-pot ratio (SPR) = effective stack / pot size.
| SPR | Leverage | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| <2 | None | Get it in or fold. No future bets to threaten. |
| 2-5 | Low | One barrel of leverage. Turn shove is implied by flop bet. |
| 5-10 | Medium | Two barrels of leverage. Flop bet → turn bet → river shove sequence. |
| 10+ | High | Three barrels of leverage. Each bet is a small fraction of stack but commits to bigger ones. |
From the full lesson
Sizing for the future, not the present
Referenced activities and other examples are available in the full lesson after sign-in.
The sizing question on the flop is NOT "what extracts most equity now." It IS "what sets up a credible turn and river barrel."
Example: 100bb deep, SPR 5 on the flop.
- Pot: 20. Stack: 100. Goal: shove the river with credible threats along the way.
- Flop 33%: bets 6.6, pot becomes 33. Stack 93.
- Turn 60%: bets 20, pot becomes 73. Stack 73.
- River shove: 73, pot becomes 219. Pot odds for villain: 33%.
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