Improving Redline: Shooting the Second Barrel

Do you regularly c-bet and then just fold when you get called? Then it’s time to start using Second Barrel in your arsenal of tools!

If you do this you are not only playing in a predictable and exploitable way, but you are also leaving a lot of money on the table.

Continuation bets are great because they take advantage of the initiative you gained from raising preflop and carry that strength into the flop. They often win pots without any kind of contest, which makes them a profitable play.

However, as c-betting has grown in popularity over the past few years, even fish players have become aware of it and are using it. Today, most players can tell that when you raised preflop, you will bet on the flop even if you didn't hit anything. As a result, they will start calling your bet more often to see how you react on the turn.

Many TAG players will barrel the flop and then simply fold on the turn, giving up the pot to their opponent when they get called and don't hit anything.

Playing poker in such a predictable way makes you an easily exploitable target.

Your opponents know that if you fire the second barrel, you probably have a good hand. And, on the other hand, if you check the turn, they know that they probably have a bad hand.

Such obvious plays will never be profitable in the long run, so stop giving up so easily!

What hands do villains call on the flop with to improve?

Obviously, your opponents' calling range will vary greatly. A conservative player tends to have a better hand when calling than a loose player, for example.

Most players today call with a wide variety of hands just to see what you do on the turn. They usually have a weak made hand or a weak draw and will allow themselves to call a street “to see what happens.”

The vast majority of these players' hands are very marginal and cannot sustain a second round of betting.

So they will often call the flop to try to hit your weak draw, only to fold on the turn to your second barrel.

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What cards should I use to second barrel?

Despite everything I said above, I am not advocating that you just bet on every single round just in the hope that your opponent will fold. If you do that, you will end up breaking the bank very quickly and you will end up angry with me.

Not all turn cards are equal when deciding whether or not to fire the second barrel, you need to look for favorable situations. Some cards are good and others are bad. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze, based on how the hand has gone so far, your opponent's characteristics and your perceived range, which are good and which are bad to continue betting.

Good cards for second barrel

Good cards for the second barrel are those that improve your perceived range and hurt your opponent's range. Let's look at an example:

The game is an online 6-max with blinds $1/$2 and effective stacks of $200.

The table folds to you on the button with :8h :9h . You raise to $7 and the Big Blind calls.

The flop comes :4h :7s :Jd . Your opponent checks, you bet $12 and he calls.

Your opponent's range here should be close to a low straight draw, a pair of sevens, pocket pairs like 66-99 or a Jx.

The turn comes :Ace . This card is good for his perceived range, and it also hurts his range. Furthermore, it doesn't complete any draws, and if he had a pair lower than jacks, he now has two high cards to worry about.

Even if he has the Jack the Ace will make him very worried.

Result:

Your opponent checks and you bet $25, and he then folds the hand.

Aces are excellent cards to barrel with, as many players still believe that every preflop raise contains an Ace.

This type of hand is very standard. Your opponent calls the flop with a weak hand but ends up folding if you keep up the aggression on the turn.

If you had folded when you got called on the flop, you would have had to accept that you lost the pot when the next streets were check and check.

Bad cards for second barrel

Bad cards to barrel are those that entice your opponent to keep calling.

When you are firing multiple barrels without a made hand, you are obviously relying on fold equity.

However, if your fold equity is small, your chances of winning the hand are also small, as you will rarely win at showdown with an unimproved hand.

If the cards seem to have improved your range and/or seem to have also helped your opponent's range, forget about barreling and save your money for favorable situations.

Think about your opponent's range when he calls your bet on the flop and think about what you would do in that situation with each hand you thought of, if you were in his shoes.

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An example:

The game is the same 6-max online with blinds $1/$2 and effective stacks of $200.

You are on the button and are dealt :5c :7c . The table folds and you bet $7, which is called by the Big Blind.

The flop comes :3h :2h :Ts . You bet $10 and your opponent calls.

The turn comes :Th. Is this a good card to throw the second barrel?

Absolutely not. Think about your opponent's calling range on the flop. It's likely to include pocket pairs, Tx hands, and flush draws. Will any of these hands fold to a second bet on the turn? Not in this life!

Not only has :Th completed the flush draw, but he has also doubled the highest card on the board, making it less likely that you will have one. Even the most horrible opponent understands this concept and will eventually call your second barrel.

If the turn gives your opponent more reasons to call, don't bet!

Range, Range, Range!

The main things to think about when deciding whether or not to second barrel are:

1. This letter seems to have helped me?
2. Is it unlikely that this card helped my opponent?

If the answer to both questions is yes, throw the second barrel. You'll be surprised how often opponents fold in these situations.

Once you have learned to stop folding every time your c-bet is called and start keeping the pressure on, you will notice that you will not only win more hands, but you will also be a less predictable player, which is vital in poker.

Author: Daniel Skolovy

Translated and adapted from the original: Firing the Second Barrel