Utilizing Blockers in Poker: Gaining an Edge Over Your Rivals!

Sometimes we may feel completely clueless about the hands our opponents hold. However, that's not entirely accurate.

By examining our own cards, we can infer which cards are certainly not in our opponent's hand.

We refer to this technique as using blockers .

What Precisely is a Blocker Anyway?

For instance, if one of our hole cards is an ace in Hold'em, it becomes less probable that our opponent also has an ace since only three are left in play.

This phenomenon is known as a blocking effect .

We might refer to it as “ blocking our opponent’s potential ace combinations” or say we “possess an ace blocker ”.

(Note: The term card removal effect This term is frequently used interchangeably with blockers .)

So, how can we leverage blockers to enhance our poker decision-making?

We’ll consider the following topics.

Blockers: Calculating the Impact

Blockers: Calculating the Impact

Poker players often think in terms of combinations (or simply combos ). A combo represents a particular arrangement that makes up a specific hand.

For instance, there are six different combinations for each pocket pair in Hold’em , including pocket aces, and this count fluctuates due to blockers.

Let’s see a simple example:

Example: If we have A5s and our opponent plays aggressively before the flop, how many combinations of AA might he have?

To determine the number of combinations for pocket pairs, we can utilize a straightforward calculation.

Number of cards x (number of cards - 1)
------------------------------------------------------         = total number of pocket pair combinations
2

Initially, there would have been 4 aces present in the deck, which means (4 x 3) / 2 = 6 combos . However, since we hold one ace, there are now only 3 aces in the deck:

There are (3 x 2) / 2 = 3 combos of AA left in the deck.

Essentially, by possessing just one Ace, we have effectively reduced the possible AA combinations our opponent can hold.

• Example: If we have A5s and our opponent is aggressive in preflop play, how many combinations of AK is available for him?

Getting the count for unpaired hands is even more straightforward.

Count of the first card  x count of the second card = total combinations of unpaired hands

Using Blockers Preflop

A typical application of blockers is three-betting and four-betting as a preflop bluff in No-Limit Hold’em .

Let’s see a quick example:

• Imagine a straightforward player who shoves with QQ+ and AK after we 4bet but folds less significant hands. (This is a tight player, though it helps illustrate the point).

Let's quickly list their value combos –

This adds up to a total of 34 combos before factoring in any blocking effects.

Now, let's reevaluate those combos by considering the blocking effect that our KQo offers.

• QQ - 6 combos
• KK - 6 combos
• AA - 6 combos
• AK - 16 combos

After accounting for this blocking effect, the opponent is left with 24 combos . In other words, the likelihood of them 5bet jamming over our bluff diminishes by about 30%. We chose a preflop hand with meaningful blocking capabilities.

When faced with a substantial river bet while holding a moderately strong hand, we want our opponent to be bluffing as much as possible.

• QQ - 3 combos
• KK - 3 combos
• AA - 6 combos
• AK - 12 combos

Using Blockers to Bluffcatch

Using Blockers to Bluffcatch

Restrict the opponent's value betting opportunities.

At a basic level, we should note a couple of things regarding this runout.

• The most potent value hand is the club flush.
• Avoid blocking his bluffing range

A simple example is as follows -

Board: T♣ 7♣4♦2♠3♣

There are also a number of missed straight draws around the T7 region (such as J9) that an opponent might try to use for bluffing.

1. A river bluff-catcher might hold a high club (like the Ac) but ideally not have cards that could be in the villain’s bluffing range, such as the Jack, Nine, or Eight.
   
2. Choosing effective blockers for bluffing resembles selecting optimal bluff-catchers.

Using Blockers to Bluff

Using Blockers to Bluff

Steer clear of blocking the opponent's folding range.

Limit the opponent's calling/raising options.

• Here's a simplified illustration using the same board texture as previously mentioned:
• It may be beneficial for us to have a club in hand, as it obstructs some of our opponent’s flush combinations. We definitely want to refrain from holding cards that obstruct potential busted straight draws of theirs, like an eight, nine, or jack—those are the hands they are likely to fold .

Keep in mind that these principles apply similarly whether we are bluffing or catching bluffs.

Board: T♣ 7♣4♦2♠3♣

We aim to block the opponent’s strongest holdings.

At the same time, we strive to avoid blocking their weaker hands.

Blockers in Other Variants

Consider this river scenario in PLO:

We had several straight draws on the flop and turn, but eventually, they all missed. However, we are aware that our opponent lacks the nut flush.

In extreme cases, our opponent might fold the second nut flush if faced with a river jam. If that holds true, we would achieve 100% folds while bluffing in this situation.

Board: K♥Q♥ 8♣5v 4♥
Our hand: A♥ T♣J♣ 2♦

Certainly, many players may still possess a calling range. Yet, the blocker effect suggests we would likely gain more folds than normal with our bluff.

We have the ace of hearts blocker .

Blockers: FAQ

Q: Do blockers play a role on the flop and turn?

• A: Blockers are indeed relevant in making the right plays on the flop and turn. However, their impact is often minimal. Usually, it's more critical to focus on other factors, like the type of opponent we're dealing with.

Q: Are blockers the most important consideration when deciding to bluff-catch on the river?

• A: In theory, they are. But in practice, it’s often quite different. Considering blockers suggests that the decision is incredibly close and that the opponent is playing optimally. In reality, many players either bluff too frequently or not enough. Getting too fixated on blockers is a mistake, especially when we can make profitable calls or folds with any of our bluff catchers against a poorly playing opponent.

Q: Can we determine which blockers are advantageous just by examining the board?

A: No, the action also needs to be taken into account. For instance, we might block certain potential flushes, but that doesn't help if our opponent would have played those flushes differently. We need to have a solid understanding of our opponent's range

well to make informed assumptions about which blockers can be deemed good or bad.

• Blockers may not be as critical as some players tend to think. While they serve as a useful theoretical concept, there are often far more significant considerations in the majority of situations. Blockers typically represent just a small piece of a much larger puzzle. Giving too much attention to minor details like blockers can lead players to overlook what truly matters in any given situation.

Q: How critical are blockers overall?

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