What Are Blocking Bets in Poker? How to Take Advantage of a Block Bet in Poker Games

 What are blocking bets in poker? How to Profit from a Block Bet in Poker Games

The size of poker bets has become smaller over the last 15 year as poker strategy has improved. Nowadays, you will see smaller bets with different purposes than ever before. One such strategy is the blocking betting, also called a block or blocker wager.

What is a blocking bet?

A blocking bet, which is usually between 20-33% of a pot, is a small size wager that you place to prevent your opponents making larger bets if you are out of position. The goal is for your opponent to be uncertain of your hand strength, and will call instead of raising on the preflop.

What is the strategy behind a blocking bet?

A blocking bet is a way to control the size of your pot. In order to reduce your risk, you might prefer to keep the pot small in different situations.

This concept highlights how difficult it is to play out of position.

A game that is based on incomplete information requires you to have the most knowledge possible to make the best decisions.

Sometimes you simply don't have the right information to know what your opponent will do next.

Blocking bets can help you maintain a cautious attitude.

If you check out your opponent's position, they can place a large wager, either as a value or semi-bluff bet. This combination with your positional disadvantage can often be enough to force you out. If they have a big hand, a small blocking wager will be enough to keep them from raising.

What are the benefits of a block betting bet?

You can use a blocking wager to save your chips and increase your chances of winning the long-term.

Holding a marginal. These hands are more comfortable with a small amount of money. Blocking bets can be combined with a low value bet to deter your opponent from attacking.

You can hold a draw. It is best to hold a draw, unless your opponent folds.

Cheaply obtaining a second-best hand. If your opponent raises the blocking bet, it is usually a sign that they are trying to beat you.

What are the potential risks associated with a block betting bet?

With a small amount of money, your opponents will become more skilled and understand what you want to accomplish. Transparent poker can lead to disaster. Your opponents will see you frequently making blocking bets and may ask them to counter-strategy by bluffraising whenever you do.

Balance is key. You should aim to use a balanced strategy where you include some great hands whenever you block a bet. Although unaware players might feel they are missing out on valuable value if they only bet with their best hands and not their best, the reality is that most opponents will not have the skill to call large bets.

When you are able to use balanced blocking bets to your advantage, opponents will begin to raise their best hands. You can then exploit this by not using weak hands to block them.

If you don't understand the situation, this game of cat and mouse can go horribly wrong. Even at the lowest stakes, most players will not raise as a joke.

If you notice this happening more often, be extra careful to determine if your opponent isn't just playing well.

Are you looking to become a better player at poker?

It doesn't matter if you're a novice or an avid player, mastering poker requires skill, patience, and some cunning. Daniel Negreanu, the most successful live tournament poker player of all time, knows this better than anyone. Daniel Negreanu's MasterClass is a deep dive into the art of poker. The six-time World Series of Poker champion digs deep into advanced theory and poker strategy. Hand-reviews of his winning games are also included. Daniel Negreanu will show you how to improve your mental game by showing you how to read opponents and spot tells. poker strategy whats so special about poker anyway