Build The Pot
When you look down at your cards and they are not the hand you had dreaomed of, don’t worry; get ready to build a pot. Above we told you about betting your cards when you have them because you don’t want other players drawing out on you, but if you are the player that is trying to draw out on someone else, don’t bet it. Call if you must, but keep it as low as possible to keep other players in the hand. That way if you do win in the end, there will be more chips in the pot!
Whether or not to bet your draw depends largely on how your opponents play, and the strength of your draw. For the purposes of this discussion, let's assume your draw, while strong, is not strong enough to make you a favorite to win the hand.
If the pot is small, particularly if your opponents are tight, it is worth it to bet your draws. This is because they are unlikely to pay you off anyway - if you hit your draw on sixth or seventh street and there hasn't been any action, you won't be offering them any odds to call. Make the play earlier on in the hand, before you've hit your draw. This will accomplish one of a few different things:
The pot is built, so when you do hit your draw, you will get payed off.
Your opponent folds.
Your opponent calls, you miss your draw...but by betting you have set yourself up as the dominating player in the hand. This is something you want - by betting the entire way you are representing a solid starting hand that has only improved since 3rd street.
If your opponents are loose, it is generally better to just check-call your way down - just make sure not to overcommit yourself, or get in a raising war. This is a sure-fire way to lose a lot of chips quickly.
