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Firing the second barrel

• 30.06.2025 7:32 pm
• Helen
• 0 Comments

Are you the player who regularly fires continuation bets, but give up the moment you are called?

If you are, the poker you are playing is extremely predictable and exploitable, additionally, the money you are leaving on the table is literally a ton.

Continuation bets stand out- you gained an initiative the moment you became a pre-flop raiser, and they take advantage of this, they then carry this over onto this flop.

Usually, they end up winning the pot literally uncontested.

The popularity of the continuation bet has grown significantly over the past couple of years, and the fish even have simply caught on to this.

Most poker players now can successfully tell incase you raised pre-flop you are going to c-bet this flop regardless of hitting or not.

The outcome is they started calling that specific flop more regularly just to see your reaction on the turn.

Too many TAGs simply fire the single barrel at this flop and just give up afterward, successfully conceding this pot the moment they are called.

Playing this predictable simply makes you very exploitable.

Your rivals know already that if you happen to fire double barrels, you are in possession of the goods, and after checking the turn, you simply have nothing.

Such play is obvious and it never lasts profitable for a long time, simply stop giving up that easily.

Incase any tight player happens to call the flop; he in most cases has something.

What do the Players Peel this Flop With?

Obviously whatever your rival is going to call with varies. A tight player for instance usually has something the moment they call the flop, compared to a loose one, etc.

Majority of poker players nowadays smooth-call flops simply to the actions you take on the turn.

They in most cases have either the weak draw or weak made hand, and they focus on calling a single street to simply "see what happens"

Most of these players’ hands are very marginal. Additionally, they can not stand too much heat.

Therefore, they will in most cases peel this flop, then opt to turn fold if you happen to keep your heat on.

Card to Barrel

I'm not advising you to simply fire each single street with literally nothing, hoping that your rival will fold.

You will just go broke too quickly then get angry with me.

All turn cards are never equal when making the decision to fire your second barrel- you need to look out for the best situations.

Some cards are perfect while others aren't. You need to have the ability to analyze the cards that are good barrel and that are bad.

Good Cards

Good cards against barrel are the hands that give your perceived range an improvement and then hurt his range.

Let's look at this example

$1/$2 online six-max game; $200 effective stacks.

It is folded on the button to you and with . You then raise to a $7 and then the BB calls.

The flop happens to come .

Your rival happens to check and you make a $12 bet. Your rival calls.

What aids your range or simply hurts his?

Your rival's range in this case looks like straight draws that are weak, sevens in a pair, pocket pairs for instance 66-99 or maybe a jack.

The turn then comes .

This is a great card, for your range and it succeeds to hurt his range. It literally completes no draws and incase he had a pair that is smaller compared to jacks the over cards to worry about are now two.

Even if your opponent had a jack, the ace is something he has to worry about now.

The outcome

Your rival checks, and you bet $25 then he folds.

Aces make outstanding barrel cards, simply because a good number of players believe still, that each pre-flop raise has an ace.

This is one standard hand. Your rival with his made hand that is weak calls the flop, but just folds on the turn to maintained aggression.

In case you had just given up the moment you were called, you would simply have resigned yourself to losing this pot, the moment the two next streets happen to go check, check.

Bad Barrel Cards

Bad barrel cards are simply cards that lure you rival to continue calling.

The moment you are firing numerous barrels and with no hand, you are obviously relying on what's known as fold equity.

Incase the fold equity you have is small, so are your chances of winning the pot. You are scarcely going to win anything at showdown unimproved.

If these cards are least likely to have aided you range and maybe had succeeded in helping the range of your rival, simply discard the extra barrel and forget about the bet.

Think of the range of your opponent the moment he happens to call your flop bet, plus what you would literally do in that very situation and with what hands.

An example:

$1/$2 online six-max game; $200 effective stacks.

You are on the play button with 57. You raise up-to $7 and then the BB calls.

The flop then comes .

You bet @$10, and then your rival calls. On the turn comes the .

If this turn just gives your rival more reasons to make a call, do not bet it.

Is this an excellent barrel card?

Absolutely not. You need to think about the specific hands your rival used to call the flop.

Likely pocket pairs, any tens and the flush draws. Are any of these in anyway likely to fold for another bet on this turn?

Never.

The not only completed the flush draw, it also paired successfully the top card, and made it scarcely likely to have any for you.

Even the dumbest of rivals is familiar with this concept, and is certain to call the second of your barrel. If this turn gives your rival more calling reasons, do not bet.

Ranges, Ranges and Ranges

The things you need to weigh a lot while making a decision whether to fire or not to fire your second barrel are:

1. Does the card look like it has aided me?
2. Is it possible the card did not help my rival?

If the answer is yes to both, go ahead and fire the second barrel.

You will be surprised how often your rivals give up.

The moment you learn to quit simply giving up each time you get called and begin keeping on pressure, you will end up not only winning more hands, but you will become a less predictable poker player.