Probe Bet

Also known as: probe, probe betting, stab

A bet by the out-of-position player on a later street after the aggressor declined to c-bet the previous street.

A probe bet is a lead from out of position on the turn or river after the previous-street aggressor checked back. The check tells you the aggressor's range is capped — they would usually bet their strong hands — so the OOP player attacks that weakness by betting into the gap.

Distinguish it from a donk bet: a donk leads into a player who was still the aggressor; a probe leads after the aggressor has shown weakness by checking. Because the bettor's range is uncapped relative to the now-capped checker, probe bets run at high frequency and lean toward small-to-medium sizing.

Probe ranges are wide and mostly merged: thin value (middling pairs that are now likely best), plus bluffs that have given-up draws or backdoor equity. The fold equity is strong because the opponent rarely has a hand that wanted to check the previous street and call a bet now.

Typical spot: you defend the BB, the PFR checks back the flop, and you probe the turn. Failing to probe leaves a lot of EV on the table — checking again lets the aggressor realize equity for free with a range you already know is weak.