Poker Float – Winning with Air

Floating is a tricky move you can use at the poker tables. In the hyper aggressive environment that poker has become, finding innovative ways to exploit aggression is needed. One of those ways of countering super aggressive players is to float them. In this article I will explain what the poker float is, how you employ the move and provide an example of how it works in practice. I hope by the end of this article you will have a new move you can utilize effectively in future sessions.

What is a Float in Poker?

A rarely used poker phrase, a poker float is slang for calling an opponent’s bet with the sole intention of taking away the pot later in the hand.

How do I float players?

The float should be used against opposition that you have identified as continuation betting or flop betting too much. It’s important that you use it against those who are unlikely to barrel off. Many a player will continuation bet heads up or even multi-way on certain board textures, but a smaller percentage will keep firing bets on the turn and river. The float protects you against those that like to c bet but liable to give up later, particularly out of position.

Why not just re-raise on the flop?

It is also a cheaper alternative to just re-raising a continuation bet as a turn bet need only be a small probing to take the pot away when an opponent is just continuation betting.

Example:
Player A raises before the flop to £10 and you call from the button.

The flop comes:

Your opponent continuation bets £20. You decide to call in position.

The turn is:

Your opponent checks, you bet £20 and your opponent folds.

You win the pot and muck:

Floating is Cheaper

The cost of a re raise is likely to be at least £55 whilst calling means you are feeling your opponent out cheaper. By calling you are giving yourself the option to bet the turn for as little as £20 or £25 thus saving you the additional £10 or more it costs to re raise on the flop.

Secondly, by calling post flop, you are representing more strength, in my humble opinion, than re raising. By re raising in these kinds of spots, you have to question yourself whether it is how you would actually play the hand you are representing. Would you re raise with Ace Ten or Ace Queen? This is why floating is so powerful as you are playing it the same way you would play a strong hand.

Summary

Cost to Re Raise	£55 +
Cost to Float & Bet Turn	£40-45
Savings	£10-£15 minimum

It’s also worth pointing out that floating is more likely to work as a bluff in these scenarios. By 3 betting the flop you often find a player will click it back to you (often with nothing themselves) whereas a float is more likely to protect you against being re bluffed.

Conclusion

Floating is an excellent post flop poker move. It relies on your ability to understand your opponent’s tendencies and exploit them. You can use this move with impunity against regs at low stakes. It can work in both cash games and tournaments, particularly if they are playing lots of tables. It will make you very difficult to play against post flop, make you money and you’ll enjoy it too.

This article was originally written in 2019 and has been updated*