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Float & Delayed Aggression

Lesson 19 · Call flop, attack when they check turn · 24 practice questions

Float the flop

Floating means calling a flop c-bet in position with a hand that is not yet strong, planning to take the pot away on a later street. It works because most players c-bet far more flops than they can keep betting: when the turn comes and they check, their range is mostly the hands that gave up. A good float needs three things: position, so that you see his turn action first; a dry board, where his c-bet is wide and his checking range is weak; and some backup equity — overcards, a gutshot, backdoor draws — so that you can also simply improve. The price helps too: against a one-third-pot c-bet you need only 20%.

Example. Flop K♥7♦2♣: villain c-bets 2 into 6 and you hold Q♥J♣ in position. You need 2/(6+2+2) = 20%; you have backdoor straight and flush draws, and this is a board he bets with his whole range: call. On 9♥8♦7♣ with A♥K♦ facing 4 into 6 it is the opposite: the board is wet, his c-bet is stronger, your overcards are often no good even when they hit, and turn cards rarely let you take the pot away — fold.

Common mistake: floating out of position, or floating with nothing at all. Without position you cannot see him give up; without any equity you need him to give up every time.

Delayed c-bet

When villain c-bets the flop and then checks the turn, he is telling you his hand is not strong enough to bet twice. That is the moment the float pays off: bet. Your bet does not need a made hand — it needs a credible story and a range that can hold strong hands, and a flop call followed by a turn bet is exactly how you would play top pair or a slow-played set. The same logic applies when you were the raiser and checked back the flop: after he checks the turn as well, he has shown weakness twice, and a delayed c-bet takes down many pots. Size it like a value bet, about half to two-thirds of the pot, because that is what your value hands would do.

Example. Turn K♥7♦2♣T♠, pot 8: you floated the flop with Q♥J♣ and villain checks. The ten gives you an OESD, and his check says he has no king worth betting: bet. Turn K♠7♦2♣5♥ with A♣J♣ after a float (pot 12): ace-high wins few showdowns against the hands that would call, so take the pot now — bet. Turn 9♠6♦3♣2♥ with A♠9♥ after you checked back the flop (pot 10): now you are betting for value — he calls with worse nines and pocket pairs.

Common mistake: floating the flop and then checking back the turn 'to see a free card' with nothing. The whole point of the float was this bet; without it the flop call was just a donation.

Know when to give up

A float is a plan with an exit. If villain bets the turn again, he is no longer in the range you were attacking, and your unimproved float is just a weak hand facing a big bet: fold unless the turn gave you a real draw. If you bet the turn and get called, his range is now made hands that do not intend to fold; firing the river with no equity and no blocker rarely works. And when your float picks up showdown value instead — second pair, or ace-high that may be good — switch from attacking to pot control: check back and take the showdown. Floating is profitable because the failed ones are cheap; they stay cheap only if you stop.

Example. Turn Q♠8♦3♣5♥: you floated with J♥T♥, bricked, and villain fires 13 into 18. You need 30% and have no pair and no draw — fold. Turn Q♠9♦5♣2♥ with K♥9♥ after he checks (pot 12): second pair has showdown value and is not strong enough to bet for value — check. River K♥7♦2♣T♠3♥ with A♣J♣ after your turn bet was called (pot 16): he has a pair, and ace-high sometimes wins at showdown — check rather than bluff. But when the turn brings real equity, continue: with A♥T♥ on Q♠9♥4♣6♥ facing 10 into 16, the nut flush draw calls or raises.

Common mistake: barreling the river because 'I have to follow through'. A called turn bet is information. Follow through only with a hand that blocks his calls or cannot win any other way.

Key takeaways

• In position on a dry flop, facing a small c-bet (need about 20%), holding overcards or backdoor draws → call (float).
• Wet flop, or out of position, with no pair and no draw → fold; do not float.
• Villain c-bet the flop and checks the turn → bet about half to two-thirds of the pot with your floats and your value hands.
• Your float made second pair or has showdown value → check back; do not turn it into a bluff.
• Villain barrels the turn and you have no pair and no draw (need about 30%) → fold; with a nut draw, continue.

Sample drill from this lesson

FAQ

Key terms in this lesson

Equity · Gutshot vs OESD (Straight Draws) · Range (Poker Hand Range) · Board Texture (Wet vs Dry) · Continuation Bet (C-bet) · Position (IP vs OOP) · Barrel (Second and Third Barrel) · Value Bet · Showdown Value · Blockers · Pot Control · Float

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