Blocking/Value Bets

I've been reading around lately and have come across the concepts of blocking and value bets. From what I know a value bet on the river is a smallish bet that is meant to give your opponent good odds to call your bet. Where as a blocking bet is meant to prevent your opponent from a cheap showdown. Correct me if I'm wrong.

My question is in what situations would you use a value bet, and in what situations would you make a blocking bet.

Originally Posted by eecard

I've been reading around lately and have come across the concepts of blocking and value bets. From what I know a value bet on the river is a smallish bet that is meant to give your opponent good odds to call your bet.

Its not really about the size or the odds of the bet. Its just a bet that you make because you believe you have the best hand and you want to extract more money from your opponent.

Originally Posted by eecard

Where as a blocking bet is meant to prevent your opponent from a cheap showdown. Correct me if I'm wrong.

A blocking bet is used to prevent you're opponent from making it too expensive to showdown a hand which you believe may be ahead but thats definitely not the nuts. If you check to your opponent on the river, you are afraid he will bet to large for you to be able to justify calling for a showdown. A blocking bet however is expensive for your opponent to raise, yet cheaper for you then what you would have had to call had you checked to him. Because it is expensive for the opponent to raise, it tends him towards a call, giving you a cheap showdown.

Good explanation. I use it when I have a hand that is probably ahead, but not necessarily. (I.e., TPTK, 2-pr or set, but 3-flush comes on the river). My blocking bets are slightly < 1/2 pot. A blocking bet on the river is small enough for worse hands to call you (for value), and at the same time, somebody with a monster will want more value and will raise (which costs them a lot), allowing you to get away from your hand.