Definition of Blocking Bet

What does the term "blocking bet" mean in the world of poker? What is the definition of the term "blocking bet"?

In poker, a "blocking bet" occurs when a player makes a postflop wager out of position in an attempt to prevent their opponent from making a much larger bet.

Let's take a look at an example of a "blocking bet":

You are playing in a SNG at your favorite online poker room. Action folds around to an opponent on the button, who puts in a standard 3x raise. The SB folds and you look down at 6/7 of hearts and decide to call.

The flop comes 6-J-9. You decide that your opponent will very likely have missed the flop, but you aren't very comfortable about calling a large bet with just a pair of sixes. You decide to lead out with a half-pot bet in an attempt to control the size of the pot.

Your opponent calls after a bit of thought. The turn brings the 2 of hearts. You decide that this is a pretty safe card for you and so you decide to lead out with another bet. Your opponent quickly folds.

In this case, you controlled the size of the pot with your blocker bets. If your opponent had raised after your flop bet, you could have safely folded.

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