Blocker Bets
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 might be the best, but you don’t think it’s strong enough to call a big raise with.
How much to bet? Usually, 30 percent of the pot will get the job done – although this amount isn’t set in stone.
The best time to make a blocker bet is when you’re out of position on the river. 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 health warning…
Blocker bets don’t work against strong, aggressive opponents.
Good players will recognise what you’re up to. They’ll see you making a smaller bet on the river and know you’re making a blocker bet. They’ll put in a big raise 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, the blocking bet is a very useful tool in your arsenal. You won’t find many players spotting the blocker bet at the the $0.50/$1 limit or below.
River raid
Let’s look at the most common situation for a blocker bet.
You’re heads-up in a pot. You’ve had the lead throughout the hand, but now you’ve arrived at the river – and you’re worried that your hand might no longer be the best.
You don’t want to put in a huge bet, because if your opponent is confident enough to call it, it probably means you’re beaten. But if you simply check, your opponent may come back with a huge bet. If that happens, you’ll be in a pickle – because he could have a huge hand, or be bluffing.
So, instead you 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.
On the turn
Sometimes it can be profitable to use a blocker bet on the turn.
Let’s say you have a hand like 9♥ 8♥ in the big blind. You see the flop with another player. 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.
You just need another heart to complete your flush. The problem here 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.
Mix and match
Well, that’s blocking bets in a nutshell, so now you can go out and play like scared little lambs with your small negative bets. Okay, that’s a little harsh, but that’s my final point to this strategic insight. 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.
Spotting Blocker Bets
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.
Should I Make A Blocking Bet On The River?
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
(3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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