Floats (2) - Theory II
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Floats (2) – Theory II
by Miiwiin
In the first part of this column, we analysed floats from an isolated perspective. Today you will find out why it is important to integrate this move into your game. We will consider balancing aspects, and you will find out that "floats" can very well be considered as value play.
Overview
- Play with a positive expected value
- Bet sizes / Maths
- Semi-bluffs / Draw play
- Pot control / Bluff induce
- Balancing / Deception
- Value extraction
The first three of these aspects were already discussed in Part 1, now we will find out how to implement them in practice.
It's a fact that when you call the flop in position, you are applying pot control. This has the following side effects:
- You are not protecting your hand.
- You don't provide much information about your hand.
- You might induce bluffs on the turn (or light 2nd barrels, respectively).
Your opponent won't be able to put you on a certain hand group or range there. From his perspective, you could be pursuing various goals here:
- You peel the flop once with a marginal made hand and fold on the turn if confronted with further aggression (1).
- You call the flop with a medium made hand, but are not willing to give it up on the turn (2).
- You call with a draw or air in order to float on the turn (3).
- You call with a draw or air and attempt to bluff even when confronted with a 2nd barrel (raise turn or another call to float on the river) (4).
- You are slow playing with a strong hand (5).
It should become clear here how much more fortunate you are if you are acting in position. However, floats are also possible out of position, we will briefly come back to this in the third part.
What's important about the above mentioned factors is Villain's helplessness, something you might already have experienced yourself in similar situations. No matter whether you have top pair, middle pair, a draw or a similar hand, planning the hand will be extremely difficult out of position if your opponent called the flop.
If you look at the above listed points, you will see that a bluff 2nd barrel would only make sense for Villain in order to stop your (3) float or to get you off a marginal hand (1). This situation is more than ugly for Villain and this is exactly the type of spot that you want to force your opponent into.
Due to this circumstance, the aspect of balancing automatically becomes extremely important. It would be ideal if you had all of the above mentioned options in your range. You call with weak hands every now and then, but the intention behind this is rather to get to the showdown at a low price.
Sometimes you call with the nuts, sometimes with a draw, sometimes with air (on a great board) in order to float.
This will make it impossible for your opponent to put you on a hand and you give him a very hard time.
This does not only serve to force your opponent into this turn spot, you also make sure that your floats as such are balanced.
In Part 1 we already mentioned that you can and should float with draws. If you are up against opponents who are inclined to fold and you therefore have enough fold equity, the bet is usually better than the free card.
You should take advantage of your position on the turn and bet as often as possible to force your opponent into mistakes and therefore make your own play +EV.
If you stick to this way of playing, you will also be able to make light value bets which your opponent will not expect.
Look at the following spots and evaluate them:
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25) (21 / 15 / 4.2 / 1.5 / 68 / 42 / 45 / 3)
(VPIP / PFR / Flop-AF / Turn-AF / Cbet Flop / Cbet Turn / / Fold-to-Turnbet / checkraise Turn)
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
BB ($25)
SB ($25)
Preflop: Hero is BU with 4
, 5
UTG raises $1.00, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.00, 2 folds
Flop: ($2.25) 6
, 7, K
(2 players)
UTG bets $1.50, Hero calls $1.50
Turn: ($5.25) A (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $3.50
You call the flop in order to prepare a float. The turn does not give you a made hand, but a good scare card. There are few hands that Villain could continue with now. After his check, you have a bluff bet here, which should work out often enough against this opponent.
Of course there may be situations where he decides to play an Ax hand way ahead - way behind, but you would still have some equity left in this case, as well as eight outs.
If he really decides to check/raise, you would have to fold, which however should not be too difficult for you to do.
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25) (21 / 15 / 4.2 / 1.5 / 68 / 42 / 45 / 3)
(VPIP / PFR / Flop-AF / Turn-AF / Cbet Flop / Cbet Turn / / Fold-to-Turnbet / checkraise Turn)
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
BB ($25)
SB ($25)
Preflop: Hero is BU with 4 , 5
UTG raises $1.00, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.00, 2 folds
Flop: ($2.25) 6, 7, K (2 players)
UTG bets $1.50, Hero calls $1.50
Turn: ($5.25) 3 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $3.50
This time, you hit. What does this change? Nothing at all. Of course you can easily make a value bet now and you are willing to go broke this time.
It would not make sense to try and trap here, even if you think that Villain might check/fold (too) often. If Villain has nothing, then that's the way it is. However, you at least have to give him the chance to make a marginal or incorrect call.
As in the previous example, Villain might also play way ahead - way behind here, which is why the value bet is a must.
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25) (21 / 15 / 4.2 / 1.5 / 68 / 42 / 45 / 3)
(VPIP / PFR / Flop-AF / Turn-AF / Cbet Flop / Cbet Turn / / Fold-to-Turnbet / checkraise Turn)
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
BB ($25)
SB ($25)
Preflop: Hero is BU with 4 , 5
UTG raises $1.00, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.00, 2 folds
Flop: ($2.25) 6, 7, K (2 players)
UTG bets $1.50, Hero calls $1.50
Turn: ($5.25) 2 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $3.50
The turn card is a very special one this time. It will not really help you when you try to sell the opponent a strong hand. You will rarely have 22 here, which would complete your set.
However, this does not change the fact that Villain will often have to check/fold and you have a great amount of equity now. Since your equity is so big, the "(semi)-bluff" has to work out even less often. There is no reason why you should not bet against this particular opponent.
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25) (21 / 15 / 4.2 / 1.5 / 68 / 42 / 45 / 3)
(VPIP / PFR / Flop-AF / Turn-AF / Cbet Flop / Cbet Turn / / Fold-to-Turnbet / checkraise Turn)
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
BB ($25)
SB ($25)
Preflop: Hero is BU with 7 , 7
UTG raises $1.00, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.00, 2 folds
Flop: ($2.25) 6, 7, K (2 players)
UTG bets $1.50, Hero calls $1.50
Turn: ($5.25) 3 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $3.50
Clear spot. You don't mind if your float gets interpreted as a bluff here, and if your opponent switches to check/call mode, you also wouldn't have a problem with it in this spot.
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25) (21 / 15 / 4.2 / 1.5 / 68 / 42 / 45 / 3)
(VPIP / PFR / Flop-AF / Turn-AF / Cbet Flop / Cbet Turn / / Fold-to-Turnbet / checkraise Turn)
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
BB ($25)
SB ($25)
Preflop: Hero is BU with K , J
UTG raises $1.00, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.00, 2 folds
Flop: ($2.25) 6, 7, K (2 players)
UTG bets $1.50, Hero calls $1.50
Turn: ($5.25) 3 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $3.50
An important spot. You might be tempted to just check behind with the intention to induce a river bluff, but this would not be correct. Besides the fact that you should protect here, you have a value bet as well as a balancing bet. Your opponent could make a marginal call in this spot and even though you would most likely not withstand a check/raise, this bet is a good one. Read on to find out why.
As you have seen from these examples, it will be nearly impossible for your opponent to put you on certain hand groups. You will inevitably force him into playing an incorrect game.
If your opponents give you tremendous credit for a float, you should bluff more (or respectively, you have not bluffed enough so far and showed too little aggression in your turn play).
If your floats are rarely successful, this play is of course an ideal value line. Bluff float less often and add more medium made hands such as weak top pairs or 2nd pairs to your range. They will slowly but surely turn into value bets.
That's why your bet in Example 5 is so important. Imagine you wouldn't bet, but instead check behind. Your opponent makes a small bet on the river and you call. Villain will see that you are not able to make a marginal value bet on the turn. Therefore, he will probably either interpret your bets as very strong or very weak in the future. This means that you make this bet also for balancing purposes, while it should count as a value line as part of a balanced play.
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