A donk bet is a bet made by a player out of position into the player who was the aggressor on the previous street. The most common example is calling a preflop raise from the big blind and then betting the flop before the raiser has a chance to c-bet.
Why is it called a donk bet?
“Donk” is short for donkey, slang for a weak player. Leading into the raiser used to be seen as a beginner’s mistake, because the normal play is to check and let the raiser continue betting. The name stuck, even though modern solvers show that leading can be correct on some boards.
A donk bet example
You call a button raise from the big blind with 6♦ 5♦. The flop is 7♣ 6♠ 4♥. Instead of checking, you bet $8 into $13. That is a donk bet.
When a donk bet makes sense
- When the flop or turn hits your calling range much more than the raiser’s range, such as low connected boards for the big blind.
- Against opponents who check behind too often, so you would miss value by checking.
- On the turn after the raiser checks the flop and a card improves your range.
When it is a mistake
Leading with weak hands on boards that favor the raiser, such as A-K-x, simply loses money: the raiser has many strong hands and will raise you off your hand.
Every term in this series is listed in our poker glossary.