Part: Part Twelve - Heads-Up
Use position to apply pressure
Flop
Heads-up. You raised the button, the big blind called. Flop 8♦ 6♣ 2♠ - you have only Q♣J♦ (two overcards), but you have position. He checks.
You miss but you have position and the lead. Best?
WhyA board like 8-6-2 rainbow misses almost everything, his calling range included, so when he checks a c-bet takes it down a large share of the time no matter what you hold. You also carry two overcards and the lead, so even called you have outs and initiative. Checking cashes in none of that.
What happensYou bet 1,800; he calls. Pot: 7,200. One barrel rarely finishes the job against someone who's decided to look you up - the story isn't over.
Turn
Turn 3♥ - a blank. He checks again.
Blank turn, he checks. With position and overcards, best?
WhyThe blank three doesn't improve the middling one-pair and draw hands he floated with, and firing again keeps the story consistent enough to fold most of them out. With Queen-high you have no showdown value, so betting is the only way this hand wins the pot - and your position lets you apply that squeeze cheaply.
What happensYou bet 3,400 - and this time he calls with 7-6 for middle pair and drags it. It stings, but the barrel was still correct: on a board that misses his range this often, the times he folds pay for the times he calls. Fire here and you profit over the long run even though this one lost.
Barreling with only overcards is right because it wins the pot frequently, not every time. This hand he woke up with middle pair and called you down - and the play was still correct, because on boards this dry the fold-outs pay for the calls over the long run.
In position heads-up you can bet air profitably because your opponent misses these boards so often - the play is judged across many pots, not the single one where he finds a call.