You certainly don’t want to try a bluff against the most closed table players. If players like that have called preflop and flop, they will hardly pass.
Heavy bluffs can be expensive against tight players
For your best barrel you would prefer to play against loose or passive opponents. These players have really wide ranges and play with hands that can hardly withstand such aggression.
It’s the kind of player everyone dreams of playing against. By firing the second bullet you will punish their attitude and very often you will succeed, because their range will not be successful against an aggressive player.
But we urge you to be cautious against so-called ‘calling stations’ (players who usually only call with non-exciting points). Although it is possible to bluff against certain players, it will be necessary to choose the right timing and be extremely credible. For the poker online option this is important.
In general, however, against certain players it is better to wait for a good hand that causes them to pay dearly.
Second bullet – In position or outside?
- Do you prefer to shoot the second bullet when you play in position and your opponent has already checked, or do you prefer to do it when you are the first to speak?
- Having a position hides advantages but also disadvantages. Your opponent speaks first and has no initiative, which means he will not have much room for maneuver and will often fold.
- But this alleged advantage may actually be unprofitable. Your opponent has already called out of position on the flop, partially narrowing his range, so he can rule out weak hands.
- On the flop, however, they may have called with gutshot, back-door and a single overcard compared to the board.
In this case we can speak of “floating”, as such players call on the flop and then bet on the turn out of position, thus trying to steal the pot. The range of floating players is really wide, and this makes it very profitable to shoot the second bullet on the flop.
If you notice that there are often flop calls that lead to betting on the turn, in this you should shoot two bullets out of position and most of the time you will win the pot.
Second barrel – An easy rule
When we asked how profitable a second barrel was, a successful online grinder like Dusty Schmidt gave us one rule:
“Double barrel always!”
Obviously, this unwritten rule should not be taken literally in every situation but emphasizes the way new generations face the table.
Most of these players call the flop without considering their range, but rather hoping for a sensible improvement in their hand on the turn or by trying the bluff. A double barrel ‘light’ shows this loose-aggressive approach.
Examples of double barrel
Here are some examples of cases in which to shoot the double bullet.
Color on the turn – You raised preflop and on a flop that reads 9 7 2 you received a call. The turn is a J or a beautiful card for the second bullet.