Thoughts on Block Bets?

It seems like my block bets on the river have been getting raised relentlessly lately. When draws complete on the river after you've been leading all streets what's your usual line (Assume HU)? I realize it depends on the opponent sometimes, but there's gotta be a generally preferred line for these situations. I hate auto-check/folding (maybe I shouldn't?), and I certainly don't want to check/call their value bet if they hit. What's the dealio?

Dude if you leading all streets just bet enough to be giving improper odds for a call the whole way then if the draw card hits on the river. Check so they don't raise and call a reasonable bet.

Ummm you may be block betting too much. You should only block bet when your opponent is aggressive when those draws hit. Otherwise, the passive opps are going to check behind you anyways.

solution: block bet with lock hands sometimes

good point renton block bet / raise / stacks

Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan

Ummm you may be block betting too much. You should only block bet when your opponent is aggressive when those draws hit. Otherwise, the passive opps are going to check behind you anyways.

well i'm speaking in generalities and, in general, i'm not really sure how many people try to represent completed draws on the river when checked to. i'd guess that most don't so that would mean i should check generally. it just seems like bet/bet/check = please take the pot now, and i hate both calling and folding to villain's ~1/2 pot bet on draw-completed river after i check.

what stakes are we talking. I cant see a 50nl or 100nl player auto-raising river block-bets without having you beaten nearly always.

As a general rule, I throw a block bet against very tight players, with the intention of folding to a raise, and I check call against very aggressive players.

Some would argue that the check call is spew with a draw heavy board, but that has not been my experience at all at anything above .50/1 level. You get value by inducing medium to very aggressive players to bluff when these players would have likely folded to a bet by you. Of course you lose money when they hit, but I find that many aware players will only value bet small w/ a made river flush anyway, especially when you are showing weakness. Frequently this value bet is equal to or only slightly more than your blocking bet would have been.

Of course, the amount I'm willing to call depends on the aggressiveness of the player. Also, I am check folding here when I simply can't put the player on anything else but the draw.

Originally Posted by dpe8598

As a general rule, I throw a block bet against very tight players, with the intention of folding to a raise, and I check call against very aggressive players.

Some would argue that the check call is spew with a draw heavy board, but that has not been my experience at all at anything above .50/1 level. You get value by inducing medium to very aggressive players to bluff when these players would have likely folded to a bet by you. Of course you lose money when they hit, but I find that many aware players will only value bet small w/ a made river flush anyway, especially when you are showing weakness. Frequently this value bet is equal to or only slightly more than your blocking bet would have been.

Of course, the amount I'm willing to call depends on the aggressiveness of the player. Also, I am check folding here when I simply can't put the player on anything else but the draw.

I agree