Blocking bets
Blocking (or blocker) bets
are a commonly accepted tool that will generally
only work at the lower limits. The purpose of a
blocker bet is usually one of two things, either
a scared hand looking to get to showdown, or a
hand looking to see another cheap turn or river
card. The main problem with a blocker bet is
that it is extremely transparent. There are many
different moves that players will get away with
at the lower limits that won’t work at the
higher limits; a blocker bet is a perfect
example of one of these moves. While there are
two main uses for a blocking bet, only one of
them is truly effective, even at the lower
limits. A lot of players like to throw out
blocker bets when they have a strong draw, but
when they do this they risk not getting paid off
when they hit. Blocker bets work best when they
are used in an attempt to get to showdown in the
most cost effective way possible.
Blocking bets when on a draw
It can be tough to decide
what to do when you are dealt a suited hand pre
flop and the flop gives you a flush draw. You
are so close to having an extremely strong hand,
and yet your hand has no showdown value. Players
love to use blocker bets to combat these tough
situations. For example, if a player is in a
raised pot at 100NL with 5s 7s and the flop
comes As Qs 6h they will have a roughly 40%
chance of hitting their flush, but if they miss
their hand is worthless. This fine line between
rags and riches is what forces some players into
making blocker bets.
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The problem, however, is rooted in what
happens when you hit or miss on the turn. If you
throw out a weak bet of $4 into a $10 pot on the
flop you might get called. If you get called and
hit your flush it will be very difficult to get
all of the money into the pot. You would be
forced to make huge overbets on the turn and the
river which would make your hand’s strength very
obvious. By contrast, if you missed you wouldn’t
be able to rep a strong hand in an attempt to
semi bluff double barrel the turn.
Now, if you made a flop bet
of $8 into $10 you might take it away on the
flop, get paid off when you hit the turn, or be
able to make a believable double barrel bluff on
the turn.
Blocking bets to get to
showdown
A blocking bet is best used
when trying to see a cheap showdown. If you had
a moderate to weak hand that you fear is beat,
but are not really sure, a good idea would be to
make a small blocker bet to slow down the pace.
The blocker bet will essentially allow you to
set your own price in the hand. If the other
player calls you it is only possible to lose the
amount that you decided. If they call your bet
you will book a small win that avoided a tough
river decision (if you checked and they bet).
