POKER DRIVEL: Min Bets

(This is a mini-post meant to complement and extend previous "POKER DRIVEL" articles...)

Here's something that I've used and Ed Miller suggests on Noted Poker Authority:

When you're playing against mediocre (or worse) opponents, you might find minimum bets work as well as half-pot for the purposes of feelers and controlling the hand. Many players don't pay enough attention to the size of the bet, only responding to the fact that you bet something.

Min bets can also work well as part of a "min-bet-raise" strategy. When you're playing with someone who seems to have a passion for raising when he (thinks he) senses weakness, a minimum bet can sometimes trigger his "raise reflex" better than a check. Many beginning players use the check-raise mechanic, but it's likely he's not seen as many people min-bet-raising. It can be a slightly more advanced lure for a slightly more advanced fish.

Even against advanced players, I'll sometimes throw minimum bets into the mix to change up my patterns and keep them on their toes - usually when I've hit a big hand and want to entice action or gradually build the pot and there's little on the board to threaten my strength. (Usually, as discussed before, I use half-pot bets for this purpose.)