If in a game of No Limit Holdem you encounter a player in an early position who puts in a small to medium sized bet on the river, what is probably going on here is that they are putting in a blocking bet. The player would prefer that you respond to them by calling their small bet, than checking and leaving the next action up to you. Left to your own devices, you might put in a bet bigger than the one they would enter. A player who is trying to get to the showdown as cheaply as possible will want to avoid investing heavily in that last betting round.
If a player isn't looking to get to the showdown on the cheap, this says something about the confidence they have in their cards. In short, they probably have a hand that they don't believe will win, but is too good to fold outright. So what should you do in the face of an opponent who is trying to manipulate you with a small bet? You do exactly what they were trying to avoid in the first place: you make the showdown an expensive proposition for them.
If you believe that someone is trying to use a blocking bet against you, your response is to call their bet, and raise. By making the showdown an expensive proposition for them, you will probably tip the balance for their risk tolerance, and chances are they will back down. Just be aware that your opponent has a hand that they think is worth taking to a showdown (albeit, a cheap one) so they probably have some sort of made hand.
Keep this in mind when you raise their blocking bet. If you have a weak hand, they will probably beat you with whatever mediocre one they are holding.
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