Betting the River
By the PokerStrategyKing

Are you ever at the river when you think you may have the best hand but are unsure about betting? A great player once said, "Bet only if a worse hand will call or a better hand will fold." As is the case with many poker decisions, deciding whether or not to bet depends on what you have, the texture of the board, and the betting action. For this discussion on when and when not to bet the river, I will use several examples of actual played hands.

Many players simply do not maximize their hands and leave open pots out there by failing to place a good bet on the river. Often times, your opponents will fold, sometimes better hands than yours simply because they think they are beaten. Are you on of those players, or do you value bet the river? Let’s take a closer look at some examples.

Hand No. 1 ($10-$20 game): You are in middle position with the Qh 10h. Two early-position players limp in. You limp in and the player behind you limps, and the next player raises. Everyone folds to the first limper, who calls, as does everyone afterward. There is $115 in the pot and five players.

The flop is 9h 7h 3c. Everyone checks.

The turn is the 2s. Everyone checks.

The river is the 10s. Both early limpers check. Should you bet or check?

Answer: This situation comes up often, and is a classic case of a worse hand not calling but a better hand always calling. After the turn, nobody had anything, not even top or middle pair. But you do have four opponents taking the flop and getting free boardcards. If a 10 helped anyone, it probably helped someone else more than you. It could easily give someone a straight, two pair, or even a pair with a better kicker than yours. If it did not help anyone, no one will call if your bet. Adding to your woes is the possibility of getting raised by one of the two opponents yet to act. On the Internet, some posters argued that you will get calls from ace-high type hands. But if you are one of the players yet to act, would you call a bet with no pair and players behind you? Probably not. Furthermore, your check might induce a bluff bet from one of the two players behind you, which you can call. In my opinion, checking here is the best play, even though you may well have the best hand.

Hand No. 2 ($20-$40 game): You are in the cutoff position with the Jh Jd. An early-position player and a middle-position player limp. You raise. The big blind and both limpers call. There is $170 in the pot and four players.

The flop is 8s 2s 2h. The big blind checks. The early-position limper bets. The middle-position limper folds. You raise with your overpair. Only the bettor calls. There is $250 in the pot and two players.

The turn is the 5d. Your opponent checks. You bet, and he calls. There is $330 in the pot.

The river is the 3h. Your opponent checks. Should you bet or check?

Answer: I think you should bet. You have a solid hand for betting, your opponent has done nothing but respond to your play, and there is little likelihood that the river card helped him, especially given his river check. There are many worse hands that will call, like top-pair type hands or even smaller overpairs. Keep milking the cow.

Hand No. 3 ($10-$20 game): You are in the big blind with the Ac 8h. Two early-position players and two middle-position players limp. Everyone else folds, so you take a free play. There is $55 in the pot and five players.

The flop is As Qh 8d. You check your two pair, confident that one of your four opponents will bet, allowing you to check-raise. Both early-position players and the first middle-position player check. The second middle-position player bets. You raise. An early-position player calls and the other players fold, including the original bettor. There is $105 in the pot and two players.

The turn is the 9s. You bet and your opponent calls. There is $145 in the pot.

The river is the 9d. Should you bet or check?

Answer: The running pair of nines has overcoated your second pair. If your opponent has an ace, the best you can do is tie. You also can lose to trip nines or a straight. I think you should check and call if he bets.

I hope by reading these examples you see that betting out can be the best option even if you don’t have the best hand. By doing so, you may induce other players to fold their sometimes better holdings.

I want to hear from you. Send your comments to info@pokerstrategyking.com .

Until next time, may the chips fall your way. (For more poker strategy and tips, please visit the PokerStrategyKing’s website at www.pokerstrategyking.com)