The Float Play

The float play is a powerful move in poker that is perfect for punishing habitual c-bettors. You know those people who always raise before the flop and then bet every single time on the flop? Well, those players really don’t have a bad strategy but poker is like paper rocks scissors; every strategy has a counter strategy. In this article, we’ll discuss the float play and everything you need to know about it.

The Mechanics

The “float play” is to call an opponent’s raise before the flop and then call that opponent’s continuation bet on the flop. If that opponent checks to you on the turn, you place a bet no matter what you have. In many cases, this will result in you winning a free pot.

The Concept & Benefits

The basic idea behind the float play is to steal a pot from an overaggressive opponent who doesn’t have anything. When people make raises before the flop, they tend to place bets on the flop whether or not they hit anything. These bets are called continuation bets and, while they do have a place in a well-rounded strategy, many people overuse them. The float play was designed to take advantage of people who place continuation bets too often.

The main benefit of the float play is that it wins pots. Your opponents have a hard time playing when they have nothing and you have shown an interest in the pot. Most of the time, you’ll win the pot without any trouble. The float play also wins bigger pots than normal steals because it lets the opponent place a raise and a bet before it steals the pot.

Secondly, the float play helps you mix up your own game. By calling occasionally with nothing, it makes it harder for your opponents to read into your actions. Sometimes you might be slow playing, other times you might be on a draw and sometimes you’ll have absolutely nothing. It all works to keep your play mixed up and your game inscrutable.

Finally, the float play encourages your opponents to play a more straightforward game against you. They know that they can’t just place a simple c-bet and get rid of you. As a result, they will tend to only place bets when they have an actual hand. The more straightforward you can get your opponents to play, the easier it is for you to play perfectly against them.

When to Use the Float

There are no absolutes in poker but the float play works the best when all of the following conditions are in place:

• The pot is only between you and the preflop raiser
• You are in late position
• The opponent isn’t a rock but knows how to fold

Like all bluffs, the float play works the best when there are fewer people in the pot. If you try to pull the float play when there are three people in the pot with you, it’s pretty unlikely that they all fold to your bet on the turn. The float play works the best when the pot is between you and a single preflop raiser.

The power of position makes the float ten times easier to pull off. First of all, it gives you a chance to see what your opponent does before you have to act. Second, it puts the opponent in a difficult situation. Your opponent has no idea what you’re going to do and will tend to play in a more straightforward manner.

Finally, you should only use the float play against opponents who aren’t super tight wads but aren’t complete maniacs. You don’t want to attempt the float play on rocks because they will have a legitimate hand a high percentage of the time. You don’t want to use it against maniacs/calling stations because they are unlikely to fold to your turn bet.

Summary

The float play is a powerful move that should be added to your poker arsenal. It wins pots, it makes you difficult to read and it makes your opponents play in a more straightforward manner. The float play should be used in moderation, however, just like all poker moves.