Continuing our discussion of the various plays in No-Limit Hold'em, the Float refers to a call made after the flop by a player holding a weak hand with the intention of bluffing on a later street. Most commonly the call occurs on the flop with a bluff occurring on the turn or river.
In general, the float play is relatively easy to recognize – it’s calling without having a good hand. This is something we see all the time, including bad players, right?
However, the strategy behind floating is actually quite advanced, making it a play that some beginner players don’t necessarily understand very well when they try to execute it. In other words, a float is not simply a loose call, but rather the first part of a strategy that involves more than one street.
Let’s talk a little more about what this play represents, how it works as an effective counterplay versus continuation bets, and other benefits to consider when making this play.
The Float Play: An Example
You're in a No-Limit Hold'em tournament and during the first few levels you notice that the player sitting three seats to your right has been very selective, only getting involved in the hands occasionally. Then, with the blinds at 200/400 with a 50 ante, you see him raise to 1,000 from middle position. On the button, you're dealt :Qs :Js and you call his raise, the blinds fold.
The flop comes :8c :7d :5s . Your opponent continues the aggression with a bet of 1,400. Obviously you missed the flop, but you suspect that the board probably misses many of the hands that villain is likely to have. Rather than bluff-raise here, however, you decide to just call with the intention of betting or raising the turn or river – that is, you float the flop and call the bet.
The turn then brings the :4s and when your opponent doesn't bet, you bet 3,000. He folds.
The Float Play: Combating the Continuation Bet
Notice the elements that were necessary for the float play to be a viable strategy in this hand:
- a cautious opponent capable of folding post-flop;
- a board that tends to favor your range of hands versus your opponent's hand;
- you have position.
If your opponent does indeed have two big unpaired cards, for example :Ac :Kh or :Ad :Qd, your call on the flop will be worrying, suggesting that you have hit something on this board – at least a draw. The turn makes things even less comfortable for the pre-flop raiser, adding another low card and even completing a potential straight for you.
Your opponent's check on the turn signals weakness, making this the perfect spot to execute the second part of your float and bluff. It's a great opportunity for you to pick up a big pot without having a made hand.
If you think about it, checking the turn reveals a lot more about your opponent's hand than betting on the flop, which could have been done with a wide variety of hands. Even tight and cautious players are trained to make this continuation bet after they have taken the initiative preflop.
In fact, the float play emerged in part because of the increased frequency of continuation bets, a play employed to combat “c-bettors” and not allow them to continue to win many post-flop pots without some resistance.
The float play and the semi-bluff
While it is important to consider the texture of the board when floating, your hand is not as much of an issue. Floating is often best done after you have completely missed the board on the flop, with full air, for a few reasons.
First, if you have made a low pair or some other moderately valuable hand that could be better than your opponent's, getting to showdown cheaply might be a good line to take post-flop. In this case, you might not want to call bets or bluff with bets or raises to inflate the pot.
Meanwhile, sometimes the float can evolve into something more depending on how the board comes. In the example above, you may have noticed how the turn brought you a flush draw, making the board :8c :7d :5s :4s when you had :Qs :Js . In this case, your float bet also functions as a semi-bluff, because even if your opponent calls, you will have equity on the river. (You also have a well-disguised hand if the third spade comes on the river.)
You still only have Q-high, of course, as with all semi-bluffs, and an opponent folding is a favorable scenario.
The float play and the position
As we’ve described here, floating is often thought of as a “positional play” in which you’re not thinking too much about the cards or stack, but simply taking advantage of your position over an opponent. By acting last, you can make things uncomfortable for your opponents even by simply calling their bets. When you take the initiative later with a bet or raise, they’ll often need to have strong hands to stay in the hand.
The float can also be done out of position, although this tends to be a less frequent variation of this play.
Conclusion
For many players, floating should be used sparingly – as is the case with bluffing in general. It also needs to be executed in a thoughtful manner, and not used as an excuse to simply call with a weak hand in the hope that the next community card will bring you something good. Start treating all your loose calls as “floats” and you’ll soon be sunk.
Article translated and adapted from the original: 10 More Hold'em Tips: The FIoat Play
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