Polarized vs Merged Ranges

When to use large polarized bets vs smaller merged value bets.

A polarised range contains only strong hands and bluffs — nothing in between. A merged range contains many medium-strength hands clustered around one value.

When to polarise vs merge

POLARISE → Large bets

River with range advantage. Opponent has bluff catchers. You want to maximise value on strong hands and maximise fold equity on bluffs.

MERGE → Small bets

Flop with board advantage. Many medium hands that want to bet for protection and value but don't want to bloat the pot.

The river decision: On the river, merged bets invite calls from worse hands. Polarised bets force folds from medium hands or get max value from calling ranges. Match your range composition to your bet size.

← Prev Next →