Lesson overview
Donk Leads and Probe Bets
When to bet INTO the preflop aggressor (and when never to)
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Inside the full lesson
When should you bet into the preflop raiser — and when is donking just a leak?
In the full lesson, you work through this scenario with interactive examples.
Most players know "don't donk." So they check 100% of the time as the BB caller. Solvers actually donk 0-20% of the time depending on the board. Picking the right boards turns a "leak" into a +EV pattern your aggressive opponents won't see coming.
What you’ll learn
- Why donking exists in solver output (and which 15% of boards justify it)
- The probe-bet — donking on the turn after villain checks back the flop
- Sizing rules for donks and probes (almost always smaller than you'd think)
From the full lesson
When donking is +EV
Referenced activities and other examples are available in the full lesson after sign-in.
The general rule: donk 0% on dry boards, 0-20% on wet boards that favor BB.
A donk lead from BB makes sense when:
- The board hits BB's range harder than the PFR's. E.g., 765tt — BB has more straights and 2-pair than CO who opened.
- The PFR will check back too often. A check-back gives BB a free card; a donk forces money in.
- BB's strongest hands need protection. Top 2-pair on 765tt vs flush draws and straight draws — BB doesn't want to give a free card to draws.
From the full lesson
The probe bet — exploiting the check-back
Referenced activities and other examples are available in the full lesson after sign-in.
Probe bet: turn bet by the OOP caller after IP checked back the flop.
Why it works: When IP checks back the flop, they've told you something. Their range is now CAPPED — they don't have premium top-pair-plus most of the time (those would have c-bet). Their range is medium pairs and air.
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