Floating works best on draw heavy boards when the folloing conditions are met. IMO

1. Your oppent rarly leads out on a draw, OR, c-bets 95% of the time.

2. your oppenent IS CAPABLE of folding a hand.

3. You plan to bet the turn or river when the draw seems to hit.

Heres why i think it works


Basicly you add the draws outs to your own. Even if you dont have a hand you may have up to 6 outs with live cards. Say you JT and Vil raises AK

The board comes 256 2 spades and you have red cards. Your oppent makes his c-bet and you have a good reason to believer he has nothing but overs. You can now count your J and T along with the spade, knowing that when it hits you will represent it and the majority of the time your oppoent will fold.

I think Antonio Esfandiari is one of the better "floaters" out there. He is able to take away pots on scary boards. Also when he makes a hand he can call the flo with out sending too many red flags, wich in essence IS THE REASOn for floating.

If you only call the flop when you hit thinking oppents will tear you appart. Youll neve get paid eaither when you make hand unless you oppent has a good one too. by floating occasionaly youkeep you oppents guessing, you have great implied odds for runner runner two pair draws (LOL) when you actually materilize a hand its near impossible for your oppent to put you on it.

Over all i think the resounding theme is floating is for tough games with THINKING players. Agisnt donks it really has no value. The only value it has is simler to squeezer vig, being able to take away a pot with a weak hand due to previous tightness. And aginst donks getting them to fold hands like AQ on low wet boards isnt nearly as easy as good player. Save it for good players. At 50NL and down its just spewing chips