Generally, a blocking bet is made on the river as a means of blocking one’s opponent. This means that you want to make the bet when you are out of position and not the last one acting. Properly used, a blocking bet makes money by ensuring that the person using it loses less than they would have otherwise. As an example if a player bets twenty five percent of the pot on the river and another player at the table who has a better hand simply calls then the player placing the blocking bet saves money by blocking the opponent from betting, for example, fifty percent of the pot. Not only does a blocking bet help reduce the likelihood that others at the table will bluff, it can lead to a show down where less is at stake. If a player simply checks, this suggests weakness and tends to trigger bluffs.

Since betting is viewed as an indicator of the strength of the betting player’s hand, most players are not going to bluff against it unless they genuinely possess a strong hand themselves. A blocking bet is not a smart move for those players who actually do hold a strong hand. The blocking bet is more for hands that the player already knows will not do all that well in play. The best hands for the purposes of this type of bet would be higher value pairs that also have a decent kicker.

The concept of the blocking bet boils down to a twofold point: foil your opponent psychologically and decrease your losses in the event that your hand does not win.