Donk Bets (3) - Confrontations with Donk Bets
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In the previous two parts of this column, you were introduced to the theoretical aspects of donk bets and we gave you some ideas on how to strategically integrate them into your play.
However, sometimes the big problem is not to find a good spot for donk bets, but rather to be confronted with them. How you can analyse your opponent's donk bets - this is what you will learn today.
Framework
First off, it should be clear that it is absolutely impossible to make generalisations about such spots.
The first question you have to ask is certainly: Are you in a heads-up situation or in a multi-way pot?
We already illustrated the differences in the previous part of the column and you also saw that they were quite big. Another thing you learned was how you got into a heads-up situation in the first place: Through a kind of blind defense.
The same is true for your opponents, although it is also possible that they played limp/call preflop (a play which you should generally avoid).
There are basically two possibilities:
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25) Calling station
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
SB ($25)
BB ($25)
Preflop: Hero is BU with A
, K
UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, Hero raises $1.25, 2 folds, UTG calls $1.25
Flop: ($2.85) 3, 5, 8
(2 players)
UTG bets $2.00, ...
If you limp/call and then find yourself in a situation where you are confronted with a donk bet, you are usually up against a loose-passive opponent.
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25)
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
SB ($25)
BB ($25)
Preflop: Hero is BU with A , K
3 folds, Hero raises $1.00, 1 folds, BB calls $1.00
Flop: ($2.10) 3, 5, 8 (2 players)
BB bets $1.40, ...
In the other possible case, you are usually up against a player who is defending his blind. Instead of 3-betting preflop, he only calls passively, but donks on the flop.
Both cases have their peculiarities.
Donk bets from weak players
First of all, have a look at Example 1. A loose-passive player, who you can roughly categorise as a calling station, limp/calls preflop and donks on the flop.
To figure out which hands he might play like that, you first need to observe his preflop play. Such players primarily limp/call the following hands:
- Pocket pairs
- Suited connectors
- Ax hands
- Traps
This is exactly what makes these players so unpredictable. Since they constantly play limp/call, they have attained a certain form of deception, which is not easy to exploit.
However, you also know that such players are not really inclined to act very aggressively.
Calling stations show the following characteristics:
- They dislike betting hard for value.
- They don't protect.
- They (sometimes) like to trap.
- They like to play strong hands way ahead - way behind.
- They like to min-raise the nuts.
- They don't bluff a lot.
- They call bets and raises very loosely.
- They usually over-play their hands (for example, they rarely fold top pair, irrespective of the kicker).
After this quick evaluation, how can you interpret your opponent's donk bet?
Many of these players don't even realise that they are at a disadvantage when out of position. It is only during the course of the hand that they understand that they might only get a small pot if they check. A donk bet is often a made hand that is not that weak, but can't really withstand any heavy aggression either.
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25) Calling station
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
SB ($25)
BB ($25)
Preflop: Hero is BU with A , K
UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, Hero raises $1.25, 2 folds, UTG calls $1.25
Flop: ($2.85) 3, 5, 8 (2 players)
UTG bets $2.00, ...
What hand could you put UTG on?
Small pocket pairs primarily, A8/K8/8x, possibly 99+.
Occasionally, you can also put him on indirect semi-bluffs with over-cards or suited connectors (usually with a hit, 87s, 56s or 34s would be possible hands here).
What you won't encounter too often here are sets (33/55/88), two pairs or pure draws (46s, 67s).
A pure draw is usually played check/call, also on the turn. The odds don't really play a role here, Mr Calling Station wants to find out if he hits on the river. If he donk bets there, he will usually have the flush (such players rarely bluff).
With a set, John Doefish usually has other elitist value lines at his disposal:
- Check/min raise flop
- check/call flop, donk turn
- check/call flop, check/min raise turn
- check/call flop, check/call turn, donk river
We can roughly sum up: Fish usually donk weak hands.
Now it is your task to find an ideal way to react to it. Always keep in mind the phrase "Don't blush the fish...", there is a good reason behind it.
The problem is: Even if you know that your opponent donks K8o on the flop here, this does by far not mean that he will fold if you raise.
These players don't have a plan for their hand, they don't think about how they would react to a raise and are always inclined to over-play marginal hands (which is what makes them so profitable for you).
That's why you should approach the situation passively, unless you have more reads on your opponent (if you often see the player play donk/fold, you should raise any 2).
This means that you can occasionally call your AK based on your six outs, you will often have the better hand here. If you only have few outs, you should prefer a fold to a bluff raise.
The same applies to good made hands: Instead of obsessively trying to protect against one to two possible draws, you should rather try to keep the weak hands in their range.
Donk bets from blind defenders
As long as a calling station is in the hand, the same framework as outlined above applies.
Often, however, you are more likely to encounter TAGs, LAGs or maniacs in such a scenario.
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25)
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
SB ($25)
BB ($25) LAG
Preflop: Hero is BU with A , K
3 folds, Hero raises $1.00, 1 folds, BB calls $1.00
Flop: ($2.10) 3, 5, 8 (2 players)
BB bets $1.40, ...
They went for a passive blind defense in order to be able to make cheaper bluffs. If they 3-bet preflop, they would have to invest around $3.50 in order to win $1.10.
Choosing this play on the other hand, they only have to invest $1.40 to win $2.10.
That's why you should not give up to such bets too often. The problem is that donk bets from different opponents can be of a different nature. However, it is absolutely possible here that many hands will 3-bet after a raise from you.
- Such players can donk bet/3-bet sets.
- They can donk bet/fold or donk bet/3-bet draws.
- They can even bluff-3-bet.
An extremely important question you have to ask here is: Which level do these players play on? Do they know how you react to donk bets? Do they think they know how you interpret their donk bets?
You have to make distinctions depending on your opponent and hand strength. The next as well as the final part of this column will give several examples that will illustrate this. However, it is up to you to analyse the basic ideas behind this.
Size of the donk bet
The size of the donk bet is decisive when it comes to choosing your play. On the one hand it helps you make estimations about Villain's hand strength.
Big donk bets usually have the objective of creating a lot of fold equity (often bluffs). Small donk bets are often a bet for free card (they want to see the turn at a low price, but not necessarily force you out of the hand). Every now and then, they are used as traps (they want to see you raise to which they would 3-bet, hoping that you don't raise/fold any hands).
These considerations primarily play a role when facing weak players. Regular players who have integrated donk bets into their game should also keep in mind the aspect of balancing and make sure that their donk bets are of the same size (or respectively, that they make them based on the opponent or the board, but not on their own hand strength).
What results from this is that you should raise/fold small donk bets, even with made hands. This contradicts the info-raise idea - however, this is only of secondary concern when it comes to a min-donk:
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25) Calling station
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
SB ($25)
BB ($25)
Preflop: Hero is BU with J , T
UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, Hero raises $1.25, 2 folds, UTG calls $1.25
Flop: ($2.85) T, 7, 6 (2 players)
UTG bets $0.50, Hero raises $3.00, UTG raises $9.50, Hero folds
Very small donk bets can be considered a check, so the above line is a variant of continuation bet/fold.
The min-donk can be classified as follows:
- Draws (donk bet/fold or donk bet/call)
- Medium made hands (donk bet/fold or donk bet/call)
- Nuts (donk bet/call or donk bet/3-bet)
If you hope that you are running into an aggressively played draw here, you are usually wrong.
PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25) Calling station
MP ($25)
CO ($25)
Hero ($25)
SB ($25)
BB ($25)
Preflop: Hero is BU with J , T
UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, Hero raises $1.25, 2 folds, UTG calls $1.25
Flop: ($2.85) T, 7, 6 (2 players)
UTG bets $2.50, Hero calls $2.50
The situation looks different here. Raise/fold is no longer an option, you have to take the bet seriously and a raise/fold would unnececessarily turn the hand into a bluff.
Villain will then often check the turn, three hand groups could be possible for this:
- Nuts
- Weak made Hhnds
- Bluffs (that fold)
However, you can't fully exclude draws, since there are countless different types of calling stations.
After a check of your opponent, the ideal line is therefore bet/fold turn:
- The nuts will usually check/raise.
- Weak made hands call and pay you out.
- Bluffs fold, although ace high might still call every now and then.
- Against draws, you should protect.
No passive opponent will check/raise the turn as a bluff or as a semi-bluff here.
Reacting to donk bets
You have now seen how difficult it is to evaluate your opponent's donk bets. If you can roughly categorise which hands your opponent might play this way, how do you react?
- Raise flop
- Call flop, bet turn (Float)
- Call flop, raise turn
- Call down
If you raise the flop, you have to be sure that Villain can either 3-bet or call weaker hands (value raise) or fold better hands (bluff raise).
However, this will make you vulnerable to re-bluffs. If the line is a good value line depends on your hand strength and the board.
A classic float. You can't only use it to attack an aggressor in position, but also when you are under attack yourself. You should not forget that your opponent is playing out of position and has no information whatsoever about your hand.
Also, it is cheaper. A simple bet on the turn has to work out less often than a bluff raise on the flop.
After the flop donk, you will often be confronted with a second donk on the turn. You could raise here. This might look over-played in some situations, but don't forget that Villain's donk bets don't necessarily mean that he has a strong hand, while your line (call flop, raise turn) is the monster line.
How can Villain continue when confronted with this strong line?
To take things to the extreme, another call on the turn would be possible. You could then still start a bluff on the river (river float). Both lines counteract your opponent's goal of keeping the pot as small as possible. Simply use your position to your advantage and don't take too much from your opponents.
A call down is of course a good option if you have a hand with showdown value and also think that you might fare well against your opponent's donk bets. It is the classic way ahead - way behind situation, you will win the most against his bluffs, and lose the least against his strong hands (although this of course doesn't play that big of a role in the case of three donk bets).
Donk bets in multi-way pots
The rules for multi-way pots are completely different. You have to play a straightforward game in such spots, focus on value and protection, while the aspect of balancing plays a minor role - and the same is true for your opponents.
Pure bluff donk bets in multi-way pots are usually never an option, but since you are confronted with multiple opponents, you can't make any generalisations here whatsoever.
The last part of this column will provide two detailed examples that illustrate this situation further.
| » SUMMARY |
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As you can see, we can't make any generalisations about how to interpret a donk bet. In the end, it is just a normal bet that has to be interpreted differently depending on the given opponent. It is important to think about all these factors and to critically question the above ideas. Every opponent has an individual way of playing and you won't get far if you think in rigid categories. However, if you manage to roughly narrow down your opponent's ranges, you will at least know how to react to his play. It can be worth fighting for such pots. |
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