You can achieve greatness while playing poker by learning new techniques, developing strategies, and practicing as much as possible. Blocking bets can be quite a useful tool that can help you increase wins and make the most of poker bonuses – as long as you understand how to use it correctly.
How do you block bets? When should you use this poker strategy? And, most importnatly, what else should you know about this tactic as you play online poker? Find out the answers to those questions and you might be able to outsmart your opponents in your next poker session!
Blocking Bets: All You Need to Know
So, what does it mean to block bets? Essentially, you can place a small bet, to try and stop your opponents from raising the stakes even further. Usually, the bet is about 20-33% of the pot, and you can only make this move when you're out of position.
The efficiency of this move relies on its psychological effect. Adding money to the pot shows confidence, and if other players see you raise – they will think you have a strong hand. Therefore, they might refrain from re-raising, opting for calling instead.
That is one of the smartest moves you can do while out of position, especially if you are unsure about the future of your hand. As you don't have a lot of information about what kind of hands your opponents can possibly have, you should do everything you can to minimize your risk. By blocking bets, you will have a chance to control the pot size, which is the cautious way to go.
When to Use Bet Blocking
Most players will choose to block bets before the turn when they have a decent hand but are not confident enough to risk a lot of money. When bluffing at this stage of the game, you might get a rather cheap showdown on the river, while relying on the information you've gathered during the flop and turn.
Being Careful When Blocking Bets
While in theory, this move can increase your chances of outplaying your opponents, it can still be risky.
Using this move against the wrong opponent can land you in deep water. If you are playing against aggressive and experienced players, they can easily challenge your raise and add even more money to the pot. But when you're facing a tight or inexperienced player, blocking bets can intimidate them enough into calling – or even folding.
So, at the end of the day, the players you are trying to intimidate can simply ignore your move. That means you will have to deal with a bigger pot, which might become too much of a risk for you. Your job is to assess the situation and make sure that your block won't make things worse for you in the long run.
In Conclusion-
While blocking bets might not work 100% of the time, it can still be a useful tool if you play your cards right. You should only use this poker strategy against the right opponents, so be patient and wait for the right moment. If you do, you will be able to win easily - with little effort.