A blocking bet is a small bet made out of position, usually on the river, to control the size of the pot and prevent a bigger bet from your opponent. It’s used when you have a marginal hand—strong enough to win, but not strong enough to call a big bet.
The idea is to “block” your opponent from betting big by getting your own bet in first. If they just call, you see a cheap showdown. If they raise, you know you’re likely beat and can fold. It’s a defensive strategy disguised as aggression.
Blocking bets used to be more common in live games, but even in today’s solver-driven world, they’re still effective in the right spots.
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