Blocker Bets

Things you will learn:

• How you can make bets that prevent your opponent from betting

Take the lead, be the aggressor and grind your opponents into the dust by betting and betting. That's the winning way in No-Limit Hold'em, right?

Well, it's not always that easy. Sometimes you have a hand that might be the best, but it's a marginal holding that can't stand a big bet or raise. In this situation the best form of attack is often defence. Welcome to the world of blocking bets.

So what is a blocking bet or 'defensive bet'? Well, it's a bet made when you think that your hand may be good, but you don't think it's strong enough to face calling a big bet or raise. In essence it prevents, or at least makes it very difficult, for your opponent to make a big bet or raise that would have put you to a difficult decision.

It also has the additional benefit of extracting some value from your opponent when he has a poor hand he would have folded for a larger bet.

There are certain situations where you can use this type of bet. The first is by far the most common - when you're out of position on the river. The second is using this kind of bet to create the 'right' price for a draw. There are also occasions when this bet can be made on the turn.

But before we get into all of that, it's vital that you know that blocker bets come with a big warning sign attached:

These bets can be unprofitable against strong, aggressive opponents.

Good players will see a smaller bet on the river as exactly what it is and be capable of making big raises as a bluff to move you off your marginal hand.

This isn't something to worry about, though, until you're playing in the middle limits against players who are willing to take big risks that their reads are right and punish weakness. Most of the time, against a lot of opponents, the blocking bet is a very useful tool in your arsenal and you won't find many players outplaying your defensive bet at the $0.50/$1 limit or below.

In general, blocking bets should be smaller than your value bets, but not so small as to be insignificant. Usually something around 30 percent of the pot will get the job done - although this amount isn't set in stone. Against thinking opponents, who have proved they're paying attention, you'll need to make them closer to the size of your value bets, but against many less perceptive players this smaller amount will do the job.

The most common time a blocking bet is used is in a heads-up pot when you've had the lead throughout the hand and arrive at the river with a marginal holding. In this situation, if your opponent can call a big river bet you're often beaten. But if you check your opponent may make a big bet, either because he's been slow-playing a big hand or as a bluff. This will put you in a very difficult decision, so to avoid this you can make a blocking bet.

This is a classic example of this situation:

• You're playing in a six-max $1/$2 No-Limit Hold'em cash game and raise with J♥ Q♥ from middle position. You get one caller on the button.
• The flop comes J♥ 4♦ 5♦. You make a standard bet and he calls. The turn is the 4♣. You bet again and he calls again. The river brings the K♠.
• Now your hand isn't strong enough to bet for value, as there are very few worse hands that he can call with. For example, he may have called with a mid pocket pair up to this point, but it's very hard for him to now. However, if you check the door is open for him to make a big bluff with a busted straight or flush draw for example.

Often then, a blocking bet is the best option here. It's very hard for him to raise this bet as a bluff because he can't be sure you don't have a monster (e.g. the nut flush or a full house) that you're trying to extract a little value with. Also, this smaller bet has the added advantage of sometimes getting paid off, as you're giving your opponent a good price to find out whether his middle pair, or other marginal hand, is any good.

If a straightforward or weak player raises in this spot you can confidently fold. It's extremely difficult for him to make a raise as a bluff, and if he thinks his hand might be good (e.g. he also has a pair of jacks) he will just call. Therefore he will usually only raise your blocking bet with very strong hands, at which point you know to get away from your hand for a smaller amount than if you'd checked and then made a crying call to a larger bet.

There are some situations where it can be profitable to use a defensive bet. One is when you have a draw and don't think you can semi-bluff profitably, but don't want to be priced out of hitting your draw. This can be used when you're not sure whether to check and hope you get to see the next card, or bet and hope your opponent folds.

Let's say you have a hand like 9♥ 8♥ in the big blind. One player in late position makes a standard opening raise and you call. The flop comes K♠ J♥ 2♥. You check and he makes a continuation bet, which you call. The turn brings the 4♣, which doesn't help your hand and is unlikely to have changed your opponent's hand either.

The problem with this situation is that if you check and he makes a significant bet you will have to fold your draw. However, if you bet and he calls he must have some sort of hand. If you then miss your flush on the river you'll face a difficult decision as to whether to bluff or not. Even worse, he may raise your bet and blow you off your draw.

An alternative is to set the price of the draw. In this situation you're 4/1 to hit your flush, so a bet of 20-25 percent of the pot means you're creating about the right price to make your hand, instead of allowing your opponent to make a big bet that you can't call profitably.

The great advantage to this bet is that it's very confusing for your opponent. First, you give him an opportunity to make a big mistake by folding a better hand; he may think you're trying to get paid with a monster, or he may just have a mediocre hand (like an unimproved pocket pair) and decide not to continue. Second, he may make the mistake of just calling with his strong hands (such as A-K) thinking you may have a monster, or that he can extract more value from you on the river, when actually he's allowing you to draw to your hand.

Finally, if you miss your draw and think your opponent has a mediocre hand you have the option of making a bigger bet on the river as a bluff, representing a very strong hand that you wanted to bet smaller on the turn not to scare him off. The disadvantage of these bets is that your opponent may see your smaller bet as weak and raise you whether he has a hand or not. Again the bet has less merit against strong or overly-aggressive players.

Finally, there's a more unusual play that involves making a bet on the turn in position, in order to prevent your opponent betting the river.

This bet enables you to see the showdown with a marginal hand that you don't want to value-bet or make a big call with. You would make this bet with a hand that might well win at showdown but that you don't want to play a big pot with. It's a way of controlling the pot size, which stops your opponent sensing weakness and attempting to steal the pot on the river.

As an example, say you raise pre-flop with 10♣ 10♠ and one opponent calls in the big blind. The flop comes Q♥ 4♠ 2♦, he checks, you make a continuation bet and he calls again. The turn is 6♦. At this point you don't want to check because it will give your opponent a free card to potentially improve his hand, but it's also inviting your opponent to make a big river bet to take the pot away.

It's not a great spot to make a value bet either as it will make your opponent call with better hands and fold a lot of his worse hands.

An option here then, is to make a more defensive bet of about 40 percent of the pot (slightly larger than river blocking bets). This controls the pot size and makes it difficult for your opponent to steal the pot on the river unless he's very strong, because he can't be sure that you're not trying to sucker him in with a big hand. It also may extract value from some weaker hands (pocket pairs like 7-7, 8-8, 9-9) as the bet offers your opponent a smaller price to call.

It should be obvious that the more likely your opponent is to be drawing (taking into account board texture and the kind of hands he has played in the past) the less often you should make this kind of bet as you may be giving him the right price to call.

Blocking or defensive bets should not form the norm of your No-Limit game. It is far, far more profitable to have the lead and be putting pressure on your opponents with large bets in relation to the pot. However, to become a better player you must be flexible in your play and the blocking bet is the right move in some situations - so add it to your armoury of plays right away.

You won't be the only player at the table using a blocker bet, so if you can spot an opponent making one it's an opportunity to win money. Given that the main point of a defensive bet is to stop your opponent from bluffing you off a hand it's a great time to bluff a player off a hand.

Thinking players that use blocker bets do them in the knowledge that they make it very difficult for their opponent to bluff and will fold quickly if raised. The best targets for attacking these bets are intermediate players who play a solid No-Limit game. This type of player will rarely make small bets in relation to the pot. If they do this after having the lead it's a sign they may be making a blocking bet. In this situation it's usually profitable to make a big raise whatever your cards. It's a risky play, though, as by the river it will take a large bet to get your opponent to fold, but in the right spot trust your reads and attack blocking bets.

The questions to ask yourself when you're out of position on the river and thinking about laying a blocker bet:

• Am I likely to have the best hand and will my opponent call with a worse hand? If so make a normal value bet
• Could I have the best hand without being certain? If so, you need to decide between betting for value, making a blocking bet or checking
• If I check, how likely is it that my opponent will make a big bet that's hard to call? If he's not likely, checking may be best, and vice versa
• Does my opponent overvalue hands and/or call too much?
• If so, a blocking bet will prevent you from folding a better hand and may even extract some value
• Is my opponent an intelligent, aggressive player that attacks weakness? If so, rarely, if ever, use the blocking bet