One of the more common mistakes I see made in poker is folks not getting the most money out of their hands.

Someone might have 10,8 offsuit and flop 10,10,8. They don't bet their hand and maybe win 1000 dollars for their effort (assume its a 20k buyin room). Everybody says "nice hand". While it may have been a nice hand you were dealt, it wasn't a nice hand played. You didn't get max value out of your hand.

Remember, poker isn't about winning the most hands, but winning the most money from your hands. If you only played 5 hands the whole night and won 3 of them that would be ok, as long as those 3 hands were monster pots.
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Remember when you're betting you need to use the current pot size as your guide, your compass so to speak.

If a pot is currently 1000 you can do a few options.

Bet 1/3 the pot, or about 333

Bet 1/2 the pot or 500

Bet 2/3 the pot or about 750

Bet a pot size bet of 1000

Over bet the pot with a bet of 2000
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1/3 the pot or (the lure)

I would classify the 1/3 pot bet as more of a slow play tactic. When you have already flopped a strong hand but want to keep folks in, for at least one round of betting.

For example you have Ah,Qh

The flop comes down Ac,5h,7h....Qc....9h

The pot size is 2000 and there are 4 people in the hand with me. On the flop I have top pair and a flush draw. So I'll bet 600. The reason is that while the Ace is out there the two hearts will keep some chasers in. The pot grows to 4400. I get the Queen on the turn and now have top two pair. There isn't any straight possiblity to worry about and no one has raised heavily representing a set. So I want to keep the heart and possibly club chasers in. So I bet about 1500, they all call and the pot is now 10,400. I get the flush on the end and still bet a 1/3. Here about 3000.

Why you ask? Because in the other players minds they have to pay 3000 to win 10,400. Not a bad investment. If two others call thats an extra 6000 in your pocket. If they reraise you even better! Just slightly reraise until finally he tries to push you off all in, you call and take down a big pot!

That play worked because the board texture was that of a flush draw. Your opponents had enough rope to hang themselves, as they were chasing.
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1/2 (the doubt)

The goal of 1/2 pot bets is to chase away enough players to either protect your hand or semi-bluff your hand. It leaves your opponents in doubt. They will either need to fold, raise you to clarify the hand or simply call and stay in doubt.

Say you have 6s,7s

The flop comes down 5h,8s,Qs...4h.....2c

Here the pot is 1000. We have a flush draw but we really want the straight as our flush is kind of weak. We bet 500 and we're representing the queen.

Everybody except one guy calls. The pot is 2000 and we figure him for the queen. The 4 comes on the turn and we get our straight. Here we make our next move.
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2/3 the pot or (the move)

Here we have the top straight, but we don't want a 9 coming out or another spade. Yes we have a flush draw ourselves but its kind of weak. So with the pot at 2000 we bet 1500. Here we're telling the guy we have a strong hand and to get off.

If he calls the pot is at 5000, if he folds we still made a decent 2000 pot for a weakish hand. If he raises to 3000 we simply flat call.

Say he does call and the pot is 5000 on the turn and the river comes and its a 2 that does nothing. Well here we value bet or "lure" the guy with a 1500 bet. If he has two pair he might call or even if he has a queen. He calls and we take down a nice 8000 pot.
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Pot size bet (the bomb)

The bomb is used when you want to get people off your hand right away on the flop.

For example you have As,Kh and you bet preflop to 500, everybody calls (thats gpoker) and the pot is 4500.

The flop comes down Ah,3h,Ks....6s

Here you have top two pair and you don't want the flush chasers to outdraw you. So you bet 4500 right off the bat. The goal is to protect your top two pair. Everybody except one guy calls. He either has an Ace, Ace-3, or a flush draw.

the pot is at 13,000 and you don't want another 3 or heart to come out so you bomb him again, this time a 13k bet. He folds and you take down the pot. If he calls well you're going to have to go all in with whatever you have left on the river.

Bombs are big plays, and should be used to protect made hands, and to take down decent sized pots on the flop.
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Overbet or (the nuke)

Lets go over the same example and you have As,Kh

Again the flop comes down Ah,3h,Ks,6s

Instead of bombing the 4500 pot with another 4500 bet we can escalate this even further! We can bet 10,000 into the pot!

We're basically telling folks "Get off my pot!!". The trouble is people might read this as "he's obviously bluffing" and they'll either call or reraise you all in. Now you're ahead and you can call the all in, but basically you're betting blind the last two streets and hoping your hand holds up.

A nuke causes damage to your opponent but also yourself, as you can be blown up by your own explosion. Basically your opponent can suck out on you and take all your money.

By the same token you can win a HUGE pot and cause fear amongst your opponents as now you have a huge stack, and have shown your not afraid to "nuke" the poker field!

A nuke is basically meant to protect your one or two pair hand, or to steal the hand right there.

Its a dangerous play, you better know the risks when you're "nuking!"
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You don't want to nuke when you flop something like Quads.

Say you have 4h,4s

The flop comes down 4c,4h,Ah

Here you have the absolute nuts! Why would you nuke? You're chasing off the guys who might have an Ace, or the flush drawers!

Here just use the 1/3 bet (the lure) and keep them in for as long as you can. Let some hearts hit the board, let another ace hit ect. If you over bet all you do is take down a small pot and waste a very rare hand!
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Remember use the pot as your compass and think of the bet sizes in relation to the pot!

In summary

1/3 pot (the lure)- Use to keep folks in the pot for at least one street. Use it when you have top pair or two pair on a dry board (one that doesn't have an immediate flush draw present, like Ah,6d,2c). Also a good way to end the betting on the river.

1/2 pot (doubt)- Use this to find out where your middle to drawish hands stand. Or use it as a slight escaltion of the lure. You can bet 1/2 the pot in the same situation I outlined above. Top pair or two pair in a dryish board. Use this to chase some folks off, and to not tip the strength of your hand! Also a good tool to get some more money out of folks on the river, as they won't know if you're trying to buy the pot or not. The risk is they might get scared and you lose some money on the river. Also a low risk way to steal the pot if you have nothing on the river.

2/3 pot (the move)- use this to really start clearing folks out of the hand. Your telling folks you mean business. Your basically telling them the party is about to end and they need to start packing up and going home.

Full pot (the bomb)- You're using this to protect a premium top two pair or trips/sets from flush draws or straight draws. This move starts escalating the stress/tension in poker, so be prepared for a fight if folks resist. In which case keep bombing them to the stone age!

Overbet (the nuke!)- Again this is a line in the sand move. "NO more!" is what you're screaming. Folks might see you as bluffing and try to come over the top of you. What you started is WWIII on gpoker. Nukes (all ins) will be launched and you better know you're going to win. One person will become grand superpower of the table, while the others will fear/loathe you. The fall out of you "being the bully" will linger.

But hey as long as you win thats all that matters! Use the nuke move sparingly!
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Hope that helps! Any questions you can ask here and I'll try to answer!