Flop Range Betting Frequency Table: BTN vs BB Dry Board Scenario

Position Scenario Description

Scenario: 6-max table, effective stack 100BB. BTN raises to 3BB, BB calls. Flop comes K♠7♦2♣ (rainbow board, no flush possibility, dry texture with virtually no straight draws). At this point BTN is in position (has the initiative postflop) and must decide whether to c-bet and the bet size.

Recommended Betting Range

The following is BTN's flop betting frequency table for roughly 75% of the range (based on simplified GTO theory, expressed as a percentage of BTN's total range):

• Value bets (strong hands) ~25%: Top pair or better, including:
  • Top set: KK (top of range)
  • Top pair top kicker: AK, KQ, KJs, KTs (some high suited)
  • Middle pair or better kicker: K7s, K2s (occasionally)
• Semi-bluffs (draws and some backdoor draws) ~25%:
  • Backdoor flush draws: e.g., A♥Q♥ (has backdoor flush)
  • Gutshots: 68s, 69s (only backdoor gutshot)
  • Backdoor straight draws: e.g., 89s (has backdoor straight potential)
• Pure bluffs (weak hands but profitable) ~25%:
  • All A-high hands that missed top pair: e.g., A♠Q♠, A♥T♥ (no pair, no draw)
  • Some low suited connectors: e.g., T♦9♦ (has weak backdoor draws)
• Check range ~25%:
  • Weak pairs (e.g., some combos of 77-22)
  • Completely missed junk: e.g., 9♣5♣ (no draw, no pair)

Note: This table is a simplified range for a single bet size (~3/4 pot). Actual GTO solutions would adjust combos slightly for different bet sizes.

Range Construction Logic

Core logic: On a dry flop, BTN has a significant "range advantage" – its range contains more top pairs and overpairs, while BB's range is mostly low pairs or missed hands. Therefore BTN should bet frequently to apply pressure.

1. Value bets: Top pair or better have enough equity to extract value immediately on the flop.
2. Semi-bluffs: Though not strong, they have improvement potential (backdoor flush/straight) and betting can win the pot immediately if opponent folds.
3. Pure bluffs: Utilize blockers like A-high (e.g., A blocks villain's AK, AQ) to increase success rate. Also balance the range to prevent opponents from easily calling.
4. Check range: Weak pairs (e.g., small pocket pairs) have little room to improve; checking controls pot size and avoids awkward spots if raised.

Adjustment Factors

• Board texture: If the flop is wetter (e.g., T♥9♥8♠), BTN's betting frequency should decrease (to about 60%-65%) because BB has more draws to fight back.
• Opponent tendencies: Against tight-passive players (who fold often), increase pure bluff proportion; against calling stations, lean toward value bets and reduce bluffs.
• Stack depth: Shallow stacks (<50BB) favor value bets; deep stacks (>150BB) require more balance to avoid being exploited by floaters.
• Position: BTN in position can bet at a moderate frequency; if out of position (e.g., UTG vs BTN), bet frequency should drop to 50%-60%.

GTO Reference

GTO theory suggests that on similar dry flops, BTN's overall continuation betting frequency is approximately 75%, with bet sizing typically 2/3 to 3/4 pot. The value-to-bluff ratio is about 1:1 (i.e., value hands and bluffs are roughly equal in the betting range). For practical use, start from the table above and adjust gradually:

• Value: strong hands (top pair or better) 35%-40%
• Bluffs (including semi-bluffs): 60%-65%, with pure bluffs ~30% and semi-bluffs ~30%
• Check: 20%-25%

Practical Application

• Memorize the betting frequency: Practice planning BTN's flop betting range in advance to avoid random decisions.
• Adjust dynamically: Observe opponent fold rates. If opponent folds over 70%, increase pure bluffs; if not, decrease.
• Use table image: If you have a tight image, you can semi-bluff more; if loose, bluff less.
• Protect value: On dry Kxx flops, c-bet with top pairs like AK, KQ to get value from hands that missed.
• Example: Holding A♠5♠ (no draw, no pair), according to strategy you should bet (pure bluff). But if opponent is an aggressive check-raise enthusiast, consider checking instead.