Poker Term Donk
Donk Bet
A donk bet was only introduced as a poker term 13/14 years ago. It’s quite interesting that it has been given the negative name “donk”. This conjures up thoughts of a donkey, which is one of the worst insults a poker player can be called. But is the donk bet actually all that bad? This article will attempt to answer this question.
Beginner Texas Hold’em Question
Poker terms have been used in other settings since the game's origins, used to describe everything from politics to military engagements to life. Donk -A bad player. What does the term donk bet mean in the world of poker? What is the definition of the term donk bet?-Misclick Misclick Definition - what does the term misclick mean.
What is a donk bet?
A donk bet is where the pre flop caller of a raise leads out into the raiser from out of position.
Reasons why it’s bad
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The donk bet is considered poor poker strategy because it does not conform to people’s understanding of how poker should be played. The “check to the raiser” mentality is so ingrained in the poker community that to deviate from the norm is considered fishy play. There are reasons a donk bet can be bad though. Here are a few:
What are you representing?
It looks weak to the raiser. If you are leading into them, you appear as though you want to take the pot now. After all, why wouldn’t you check and raise a likely c bet? What are you telling your opponents if you decide to bet into them?
Losing the C Bet
If you’re actually strong, leading out can lose you action. Let’s consider a scenario where a frequent raiser opens the button. You defend the big blind with pocket 3s and flop a set on 3-5-J. Your opponent quickly folds, moving on to the next hand. The flop bet loses the c bet you inevitably get from someone opening a lot.
You will get 3 bet a lot
Many player’s treat a donk bet like a check anyway and will re raise you instead. Some people don’t give you credit when you lead into them and will 3 bet most flops knowing you are unlikely to be strong. This makes the donk bet a poor poker strategy if you are no super strong when leading.
Reasons why it can be good
Deception
Contrary to mainstream poker thought, I’ve always been a big fan of the leading into the raiser. There are couple of different scenarios I use it for deception. Flopping a monster and leading into a good player or a player who is likely to be strong works well. Both types of player will not expect you to have a strong hand and will either raise you for value or as a bluff. Either way you accomplish what you want. Deceiving your opponent goes a long way to helping you win money at poker.
Build the pot
Against players that are exercising pot control and playing small ball, the donk bet strategy works well to set up bluffs or build pot for value. By leading out you build the pot and allow a bluff to work smoother. By leading out, you can put pressure on your opponent. It may take 3 streets of betting but you can get the weak to medium strength hands to fold.
Take down small pots (cheaper bluffs)
At low and micro stakes, this bet can work well as players are prone to fit and fold poker. By leading into them you are removing their c bet weapon. It’s also a cheaper bluff than check raising. Beginner players don’t look at the situation and realise you are likely weak. Instead, they will be looking at their cards and seeing if they hit on the flop. Caution – some beginners will call on the flop with AK type hands even if they miss so it make require a turn bet too.
When to donk bet
Conclusion
The donk bet is weapon that can be used sporadically and have success. You need to understand your opponents, have them tagged correctly. You will then know who it will work with and who it won’t. The donk bet has been around a long time and can be a useful tool if exercised properly. Gus Hansen showed this many years ago by schooling all the pros in WPT events with this style, so it can work.
In this new series, Card Player asks top pros to rewind back to their humble beginnings and provide insights regarding the mistakes, leaks, and deficiencies that they had to overcome in order to improve their games.
Nam Le is considered to be one of the most consistent no-limit hold’em players on the circuit today. The young California poker pro started cashing in major tournaments back in 2004, and since then has accumulated a massive $6 million in career earnings. His list of poker accomplishments is staggering:
He won the 2006 World Poker Tour Bay 101 Shooting Star for $1.1 million, finished second in the 2008 WPT Festa al Lago Classic for a nearly seven-figure payday, and won the 2008 APPT Macau main event for $474,000. All told, he has cashed exactly 100 times in his career, including nine outright wins.
Here, Le talks about one of his earliest mistakes when he was first having success with no-limit hold’em tournaments, and why correcting this leak was so crucial to his longevity in the game.
“I had huge leaks with my bankroll management back in the early days. I didn’t know how to manage my money. I lost a lot of money by loaning too much, and I just generally over-extended myself in tournament buy-ins. It is impossible to overcome leaks with your bankroll management, especially nowadays when the world of tournament poker has gotten so much tougher. The variance is so high in tournaments, so the No. 1 thing you need to in order to be successful is proper management of your poker funds. You have to clean it up if it’s not that strong, because it doesn’t matter how good you are or how skillfully you play, you won’t make it unless you have the proper mindset for your money.”
“I staked people back then, as well. I wouldn’t say I was a sucker, but I gave into every sad story there was. I mean, I helped a lot of friends, which I am not saying you shouldn’t do, but you generally shouldn’t at the cost of your own career. I worked at learning how to say ‘no’ to people, which is something you have to become comfortable with when you start to have success in this game. Your friends will still be your friends even if you turn them down for a loan. You shouldn’t shoot yourself in the foot when you help other players.”
Poker Term Donkey
“When I first became really successful, the biggest thing I bought was a house. I didn’t really change that much, other than having more friends. For players here at this World Series of Poker who have a large score, which could be their first big win in a poker tournament, I would tell them to be careful about the pitfalls of loaning and staking. If you are going to stake someone, do it more because you want to help them and not for a profit. A few years ago, it was easier to show a profit more quickly in this type of business deal. Now, with the fields being so tough, you have to be willing to go deep before showing a return. It might take years to get your money back. Just be careful when your bankroll becomes big, and be smart to protect it. Keep your risks down. It is very hard for young players, for example those who win a tournament this summer, to remember how hard it was to make that breakthrough and establish their bankroll. You have to think ahead, and when you get ahold of some money, hold onto it and figure out a way to make it last long-term. Wait three or four months before you stake someone or make that big purchase.”