Continuation bet, Blockling bet

[TheCat]

I posted about general 6 max strategy a few days ago and got some extreamly useful advice especially from Publos Nemiesis, thanks.

A couple of terms came up that I've not heard before, can someone enlighten me please:

1. Continuation bet
2. Blockling bet

[boondockst]

Continuation bet vaguely is to bet out on a flop after you raised preflop (often done with AK headsup on a flop of low cards; you'll be surprised how often you take down the pot on the flop of Axx when you have KK and raised PF also...these are more useful in position also)

A blocking bet is a river bet that is a certain size (1/2 to 2/3 pot) such that is large enough that your opponent will not try to bluff, yet small enough that you can fold if your opponent raises with presumably a better hand (TPTK on a flush river, etc)

[TheCat]

Thanks, I'm aware of the bet after rasie trick but the blocking bet is a new idea to me. Well worth knowing. Maybe there are more bets I don't know about. I'll make a new post with a list of them all.

[kurto]

about the blocking bet... it is done when you are out of position with a decent hand when you fear you could have second best. The point of it is.... often times when you check to someone, they will bet, and if they choose the size of the bet, they may bet more then you're willing to call. But if you bet, even if their hand is better then yours, they might just call (if they don't have the nuts).

A good example would be... Say you flopped trips. There's a possible straight AND a possible flush on the board. There's a decent chance that your hand is good. But if you check it and your opponent a lot, you will fold. So, you take control. You bet 1/2 pot. Let's say your opponent has the straight but is afraid of the flush. He will now call since he doesn't know if you have the flush or not.

In this case you lost, but it was close enough that you wanted to take a shot.

(if you had the straight and there was a possible flush, you might make the same move.)

Another kind of bet you didn't mention: the Probe bet.

A probe (or feeler) bet is when you're in early position. There was some action preflop which you called. You flopped a pair or a draw. You know some people after you showed strength, but you're not sure if they were betting overcards or high PP. A probe bet says to the board (cheaply 1/2 pot or so) that I have a piece of it. If others really missed they will get out. If someone thinks they're still ahead, they may play back.

3 things about a probe bet:
(1) It is a weak bet (1/2 pot) but don't mistake it to always mean weakness. A GOOD player who makes a probe bet from early position is often ready to checkraise.
(2) at the $25NL tables, you will see bad players do this with min-bets. Like leading out with $.25 into a $2 pot. This is a superweak bet and you can take the pot from these folks by betting the pot. Don't make a bet this flimsy unless you're trying to induce a bluff. Suprisingly if the table is all weak players... this bet of a quarter will win the pot!?! If someone bets that small and you have any kind of draw or 2 overcards... you call (OR STEAL-- but if the person is a calling station, just call).
(3) I kind of touched on it in 2... but the probe bet can also be used to induce a bluff. Say you're in early position, you limped with pocket 10s and there was a raise in MP and 2 callers... you call. You flop top set. Against bad players, you can lead out with a weak bet (maybe 1/3 of the pot)... the aggressive players will raise you... you checkraise all in. NOTE: this won't work against good observant players as much.

[-Skeme-]

Continuation bet is when you've raised preflop and missed on the flop, but bet again.

[TheCat]

Thanks, that's great advice.

[sawseech]

continuation bet

you have A high but represent a pair because you can

[boondockst]

[ QUOTE ]
3 things about a probe bet:
(1) It is a weak bet (1/2 pot) but don't mistake it to always mean weakness. A GOOD player who makes a probe bet from early position is often ready to checkraise.


[/ QUOTE ]

You can't check-raise if you've already bet lol

[kurto]

right..

reraise!