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Floating is a poker move that is designed with one thing in mind: bluffing. The basic mechanics behind floating involve calling a player’s bet, when you have position, and bluffing them on a later street.
Consider this example: You are on the button and a loose player makes a raise from middle position.
You call, and everyone else folds, leaving you and your opponent to see an A-K-3 flop. Having watched the villain for the past hour, you know that they are extremely loose and love to make continuation bets. Thus, in your opinion, the chances they have a strong hand on this flop is small.
As predicted, they fire a continuation bet and you call. The turn is an inconsequential 5 and the villain checks to you. Given your analysis on the flop, you decide that a bet will win the pot a high percentage of the time, so you make your move. In a flash your opponent folds and you scoop the pot without having to show your hand.
The key to executing a successful float is board texture and the opponent you’re facing. Firstly, you need the villain in the hand to be a loose player, who is prone to giving up on pots. This means that they raise a lot pre-flop and bet the flop a high percentage of the time. However, if they meet any resistance they slow down.
To go along with this you need the board to be a dangerous looking one. If the cards on display are all low, then it is hard for you to represent a strong hand credibly. However, if there are many high cards, it will make it more believable when you bet.
Pulling off a float can be a great way to stop the table bully in their tracks and make some extra profit at the table. If you ensure that the conditions are right, it will become a handy weapon to have in your poker arsenal.
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