Block Bet: What & When To USE IT in Poker!

Poker Strategy Info And Source:

In this poker strategy video, Jonathan will be discussing the concept of “block betting” and how and when to use it effectively in poker games.

A blocking bet is essentially a tiny bet that is most often used on the river. It can be as small as just 5% of the pot! Jonathan will teach you when to use it as an exploitative strategy to capitalize on your opponent’s weakness and mistakes at the poker table. He will then look at it from a Game Theory Optimal (GTO) point of view and when it becomes a sound poker strategy to use. GTO never uses a small block bet when it is in position, it will always use a normal bet size. GTO looks to use a block bet when it is out of position generally when the turn has been checked behind by your opponent.

Block betting is a strategic move that can help you control the pot, limit your losses & give an opportunity to your opponents to inflate the size of the pot for you when you have a strong value hand. It involves making a small bet that serves to block your opponent from making a larger bet that could potentially put you in a difficult position. This technique is especially useful when you have a marginal hand that you want to protect, or when you want to extract value from your opponent’s weaker hands. Top poker players will also use it with strong value hands against aggressive opponents that may raise as they will believe you are often ‘weak’ when you use a small bet size.

In this poker video, Jonathan teaches the different situations where block betting can be used to your advantage. He’ll also talk about the types of hands that are best suited for block betting, and how to recognize when your opponent may be trying to use this tactic against you.

So if you’re looking to improve your poker game and add another weapon to your arsenal, then be sure to watch this video on “Block Bet: What & When To Use It in Poker!” Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more great poker strategy videos and please hit the like button if you find this video helpful!

0:00 – Intro
0:10 – What Is A Block Bet?
0:45 – Exploitative Block Betting
3:05 – Game Theory Optimal Block Betting
6:40 – Summary

On this Poker Coaching channel we cover a weekly poker topic to help improve your poker strategy!

In order to take your poker game to the next level it is vitally important you learn all the nuances of the game.

Do you know what ranges of poker hands you should be playing from each position? When should you 3-bet, call or fold? When is the right time to make a hero call or a huge bluff? Do you know how to play preflop, flop, turn & river effectively and how should your poker strategy change depending on the street? What difference does it make if you are playing multi-way vs heads-up?

#blockbet #pokerstrategy #pokeradvice

Source: YouTube

Share this video:
Block Bet: What & When To USE IT in Poker!

10 thoughts on “Block Bet: What & When To USE IT in Poker!

  1. Do YOU use a block bet as part of your poker strategy? 🤑

  2. I agree with all of this, it makes sense. But you've also mentioned in the past that most players don't bluff enough, so it seems to make sense that you should be looking for spots where you can successfully bluff, on occasion, and tell a believable story.

  3. Good video. When I first started grinding, I had the leak of only using blocker bets when I had a hand which had showdown value, but not much, however I felt like if I didn’t, my opponent was very likely to put in a big bet even as a bluff and put me in a tough spot. Easily exploitable when I look back on it. I try to use blocker bets now if I’m at a wild action table and I have a value hand and I’m positive it will induce the raise I’m looking for. It seems like most players these days view block bets as being very weak and definitely don’t like folding for the pot odds a blocker size gives them, so they are eager to tee off on blocker size bets usually. But because of this, I have found that for me, using the blocker sizing when I’m very marginal and it’s an attempt to name my price on the river, block betting is a -EV play as I will usually block bet and fold, even if I feel like they have a lot of bluffs in their range, as it takes the absolute perfect scenario with the perfect blockers for me to make big hero calls.

  4. From explotative point of view, against some opponents 1bb bet on river can trigger a bluff 3 bet from them, which might add extra value, so sometimes you do want to "block bet" in position, but this strategy is very player specific

  5. I use block bets, but rarely, and only in situations where I am confident I can fold if raised.

    Actual example: I open 77 MP 3 callers. Flop 7TQr (woot!). I c-bet 3/4 pot. Only button calls. Turn 8. I bet 66% button calls. River J (4-liner on board). I bet 25% pot and fold to 4x raise.

    I did not think this opponent would bluff-raise. I did think he'd call with the myriad of 2-pairs possible on this board and would check-behind most worse hands had I checked. Had I checked and he bet, I'd be in a tough spot.

  6. Blocking bets that go to showdown tend to stick in people's memories because the bet is so unusual. USE THIS.
    If you use a blocking bet with marginal made or a bluff and the cards are seen at showdown, make sure the next one is a very strong hand (eff. nuts) and you will very likely get a raise.
    Likewise, if you block with effective nuts and they are seen at showdown, then the next time you use a blocking bet, do so on a bluff and watch your opponent fold most of the time.
    Many many many bets do not have this advantage – basic GTO or value play is not memorable except in the way it creates a general table image after many hands. But tiny bets are weird and they stick out. Eventually, the table will catch on that you use it in various situations, but alternating those first few can yield some outstanding results.

Comments are closed.