The Secret Bet
The use of the secret bet has many nuances that can give you advantages over other players. Let's take a look at several more situations you might find yourself in and how to optimize the use of the secret bet.
Position Considerations
A common use of the secret bet is on the first elimination hand if you have poor position. This is almost mandatory in a close race since an open wager would allow opponents to scale their bets accordingly. It's not unusual for the first several players to go secret on the first EH. Unless you have a large lead it's almost necessary to go secret when out of position. With a lead, you might be able to open bet and take the high on one or more players. Of course, base this on a maximum chip potential calculation for the lowest stacks.
If you are trailing badly and in poor position consider going all in in the open and saving your secret bet. Opponents probably expect you to go all in anyway so the element of surprise is lost. Going all in in the open can put a lot of pressure on others and could confuse them. Obviously, if you are last to act there is little reason to ever go secret. The exception could be if you think the subsequent use of a secret action will be helpful in the situation.
Mix It Up
Try to avoid making a predictable secret bet over and over. If possible mix it up to throw off an observant opponent. You might face the same opponent over several rounds in a tournament or repeatedly on a website. Any patterns you show could be used against you during that round or future rounds. An astute opponent will have a significant advantage if your tendencies are obvious. By the same token, keep track of your regular opponents tendencies. It's not always possible to mix it up but examples of tendencies could be making very large bets, very small bets, or going all in every time.
The $0 Option
Keep in mind that using the secret bet gives you the option to bet $0. Consider this option because most of your opponents will not put you on a $o bet. It can be a useful tool if you are near the lead or have a large lead. In a sense it is comparable to taking the low without opponents losing their hands.
Here's an interesting ploy used with players yet to act behind you. Use a secret action and double down for $0 or the minimum regardless of what amount if any you secret bet. This has the net effect of hitting your hand once but adds deception to your play. This flurry of secret bet with secret action activity could increase your opponents confusion and lead them to make a mistake when it's their turn to act.
