Table of Contents
Strong players don’t ask “how do I play this hand?” — they ask “how do I construct this whole range?” This guide covers which hands go into which bet size postflop, and how to carry ranges into the turn and river.
Bet size follows purpose
- •Strong + bluffs
- •Large size
- •With nut advantage
- •Strong-to-medium
- •Small size
- •With range advantage
Sizing starts as a choice between polarized and merged:
| Type | Range | Size | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polarized | Strong hands + bluffs (two poles) | Large (⅔–overbet) | Boards/rivers with nut advantage |
| Merged | Strong-to-medium, wide | Small (¼–½) | Range advantage but little nut advantage |
Bet big and you must include enough bluffs (the value:bluff ratio). Bet small and you can fire wide for thin value or protection.
Designing across streets
The key to range construction is building today’s range with an eye on what happens next street. After a flop range c-bet, you can’t keep betting every hand on the turn and river. As the board changes, split into hands that keep firing, hands that check, and hands that give up.
Work backward from value
A practical trick: count your value-betting hands on the river first, then back into how many bluffs you can have. Too many bluffs relative to value and you get called and lose; too few and opponents fold easily, costing you value. Just tracking this balance lifts your river accuracy.
Pick bluffs by blockers
- •Holds a card that blocks opponent's nut hand
- •Reduces probability opponent can call with value
- •Example: blocks nut flush on a completed flush board
- •Has little showdown value of its own
- •Does NOT block opponent's calling range
- •Opponent more likely to hold a strong hand
- •Example: unblocked straight/flush draw missed
- •Still has some showdown value — better as a check
Choose which hands bluff the same way as earlier streets — by blockers. Bluff with hands that block the opponent’s calling (value) range to lower the chance they hold a strong hand. On a completed flush board, for instance, hands that block the nut flush make excellent bluffs.
Summary
Postflop is range design across three streets, not isolated bets. Switch polarized vs merged by board, set bluff counts by working back from value, and choose bluffs by blockers. Nail these three and your postflop play turns from “vibes” into “designed.”
Related reading
This article was prepared by the Poker GTO Lab editorial team for educational purposes, drawing on widely published solver outputs, training content, and preflop charts. The ranges and frequencies shown are representative tendencies; the true optimum depends on stack depth, opponents, and table rules. This site does not promote gambling.