Poker Basics - Donk Bets

Is leading into the aggressor on the previous street really a big mistake? We explain the controversial 'Donk Bet'.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the 'Donk Bet' started out as a derogatory term in poker, given that 'Donkey' is poker slang for a player who acts mindlessly at the tables. 

A donk bet is when an out of position player leads into a player who was aggressive on the previous street. For example, you check, they continuation bet the flop and you call. If you then bet the turn instead of checking, it is calling 'donking' the turn. 

But is a donk bet as bad as the name suggests, or are there times when it is a favourable strategy?

Donk Do's and Donk Dont's 

The first reason donk bets are usually a bad idea is that they put you at an informational disadvantage. When you are out of position you do not know how your opponent will act, so checking is the more cautious approach. Betting with no other information leaves you vulnerable and gives a lot of information to your opponent.

If you have a hand a donk bet allows your opponent to get away cheaply. Most regulars will bet a lot when checked to and by donking you miss out on a guaranteed bet from them a lot of the time. Check/raising is usually a better strategy. 

Many players only donk bet with good hands, which means your checking range is unprotected. If you never check your good hands then you can be exploited by aggressive players who will bet every time you check. 

There are good reasons to donk bet, however, and perhaps the best reason is to stop a player checking behind. If you have a strong hand but a scare card that completes a draw hits the turn, if you check they will often check top pair type hands that you are ahead of. Donking is a good way to get value when a scare card hits. 

Another reason to donk bet is when range advantage has shifted in your favour. If, for example, an obvious draw hits and you have more flush draws in your range than your opponent, this is a good time to bluff. Again, it is likely your opponent will check behind often in these spots anyway. 

Donk bets are not the mindless punts they were first considered to be in poker. The trick to pulling them off is like any other bet in poker, you have to know why you are doing them in the first place. 

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