Floating – Taking the Art of Bluffing to the Next Level

Bluffing can be a priceless trick if one knows how to employ it effectively. “Float-play” is a bluffing trick which is used by veterans of the game and it is spread over two betting rounds.

The main theme behind floating is to deceive your opponents in thinking that you hold a very strong hand from the flop to the turn, and thus winning the hand with most players scared out of the competition.

What is Float-Play?

All a player has to do is to float the flop, or in simple words; he has to call the opponent’s bet on the flop and then bet again when the opponent checks him and thus win the pot even before the river appears. It is a very easy-to-understand bluffing technique as it can be successfully done with any two cards.

Why is float play effective?

Usually experienced poker players have a habit of remaining consistent with their betting on the flop, irrespective of the fact they get hold of what they wanted or not. Even, then they continue to bet with the hope that you might share the same fate with them, and that their aggression in such a situation will force you to lose the pot.

But after your opponent has ventured far into unknown territory, if you call, it will cause an immediate panic in his camp as he will think of you ‘slow-playing’ a strong hand. Most of the players will check by the turn, and your chances of winning a big pot will become very bright considering their weak positions.

Despite the fact that most players view floating as an effective way of countering a continuation bet, yet this is not its sole purpose.

Two Principles for an Effective Float-Play

In order to successfully execute this ingenious trick, you need to be efficient in two areas:

  • You should be seated in a manner that your turn comes after your opponent.
  • You need to be heads-up against your opponent.

Although, many try their luck with float-play even when they are not ideally positioned, experts recommend that you should refrain from doing so as it can eventually cost you in the game. When you are in the ideal place, you are best positioned to pick on any weakness of your opponent after you call on his flop bet. If he happens to check then you know that you are in the hunt for the pot, and if he calls then it is a clear indicator that the best option for you is to fold.

The second rule to ensure success with float-play is that you need to be up against a single opponent. If there is more than one opponent in the pot the chances of their having a good hand are naturally stronger. When tried against more than one opponent, this bluffing technique can be quite hard to pull off.

Poker experts always stick with these pre-requisites before going ahead with a float-play, in fact most will simply drop the idea if there are not against a single opponent.

Float-play is used by most to tackle a continuation bet from a single opponent, but with the arrival of more opponents, many other factors need to be on your side for you to deceive them successfully and grab the pot. Therefore, it is best to keep things simple and analyze the situation before making any decision as a hasty decision can make you end up in the losing side.

Useful Tips on Float-Play

One essential tip to be effective with this technique is to keep a close eye on your opponent and read his game. You need to check if he is one of those who go for continuation bets or if he will simply fold in the face of aggression. Tight-aggressive players can be ideal opponents when trying float-play, while calling stations can be your worst nightmare as they just keep calling no matter what happens.

Another important thing worth remembering is that you need not overuse float-play as it will backfire. Although, you will find it useful in breaking off continuation bets, still refrain from using it as a constant defense mechanism. You will find yourself in situations where opponents will check-raise you with real hands if you go overboard with floating.

Rather than creating scenarios to use this technique, you should remain on the look out for the best opportunity when it will present itself during a game.

Assessment of Float Play

Although, highly rewarding, float play is a complex bluff technique which spreads over two rounds of betting and requires you to have good understanding of your opponent’s game. Not everyone can use it usefully, but those who have mastered it are at the top of the tree.