Daniel Negranu's Small Ball Strategy-Part 2 Betting

Betting (Again, please be reminded that this is for deep stack tournaments)

Small Ball Strategy:
How to bet less to win more
Playing more hands before the stack without bleeding your stack
Benefit of this aggressive small ball betting style is you'll get more action on your strong hands while risking fewer chips

Preflop Raising
Instead of a 3x's raise, raise to 2 1/2 times the big blind
However, you should change your bet size based on your opponent's level of skill. For example, raise more against a player who defends his big blind and plays well after the flop.

Preflop Calling
You should call pre-flop raises with hands as you want to make most of your decisions after the flop. Example: With deep stacks, call with middle pocket pairs.
Seldom re-raise before the flop no matter what your hand is.
Most players are better at pre-flop play and overplay their hands. By calling their raises, you can wait to outplay them on the flop.
Even with hands like JJ, QQ, and A-K.

Dead Money Grabs:
Higher risk plays with a high success rate.
Goal is to win what's already in the middle with no intention of playing your hand post flop.
Your hand is not important:

Examples:
1. Pound the limpers in position
There are multiple limpers and you are in one of the blinds. You have nothing, and raise to win the pot. The raise must be big. If there is $1,300 in the pot, raise it more than $2,000 like $2,600.
Note:
You need to feel sure the first limper is weak, usually the under the gun limper is the player who may be slowplaying a premium pair.
You don't want to risk a high percentage of your chips on a play like this or you'll be pot committed and be forced to put your entire tournament on the line.

2. Coming over the top with a pre-flop re-raise
You need to make sure that your re-raise is big enough to get your opponent to fold, that you have a big enough chip stack to make this play, your opponent is not pot committed, your opponent views as someone who would only make this play with a big hand, and your opponent hasn't had this play done to him a few times where he is frustrated and calls you anyway.

Playing Against A Re-raise
If you get re-raised fold your hand unless:
You have AA or KK.
The re-raise was the minimum
You have position
The stacks are deep: call with suited connectors or small pairs and you can hit your hand or bluff using the board cards that can get your opponent to fold
Rule: Never risk more than 10% of your stack in these hands
Fold: KQ, KJ, K10, QJ against a re-raise!

Calling All-in Bets Or Raises
1. What is the range of hands of my opponent
2. What price am I being laid? Pot odds
3. How does my hand stack up against the range of hands my opponent has?
You are calling when the odds the pot is laying you dictates that it would be a good investment. Not because you think you have a better hand.

Playing A Small Stack
If your stack is less than 10 bets, you have to move all-in
When your chip stack declines you can look at limping...which is your goal to get to the flop.
When your chip stack is below average, you need to play conservatively, wait for the right hand, and hope.

Example:
You have Ks-Js. Your stack is $100,000 with $3,000-$6,000 blinds and a $1,000 ante.
If you raise 2 1/2 times the big blind, it is 15% of your stack which is too much too risk. Limp instead.

Next: Flop Play

From Daniels' Negreanu's Power Hold'em Strategy book.