Until date, we have primarily relied on position and an aggressive barreling strategy to take pots. However, pursuing worth is equally vital to limitless achievement, and most people do so poorly. Learning how to value bet correctly can benefit you in two important ways. First, you will extract value from previously checked-down hands. Second, it makes you more difficult to read, so your opponents will be more likely to make blunders against you on all hands.
The river is where most players make the traditional value betting error. They check out way too many good hands. For example, a normal player will flop top pair with a strong kicker, bet it on the flop and turn, and then check it down on the river. One key issue with consistently playing your decent cards in this manner is that it severely limits your river betting range. We are not suggesting that you completely avoid the bet-bet-check line. It’s usually a solid line. However, abuse reduces its worth.
A polarized range has primarily very strong and very weak hands, with few middle-strength hands. On a K ♦9♠ 8♦5♣ 3♦ board, a player who shoves all-in for a pot-sized bet on the river is likely holding a flush or bluffing. Few players would shove this river with a hand like KQ or 98, while many would check down even KK or 76.
To some extent, everyone bets the river in a polarized manner. It would rarely make sense to bet a hand like A9 on the above board unless you were attempting to force out a better pair, as better cards prefer to call and inferior hands tend to fold. However, the answer to betting with a polarized range is to keep your frequency of betting good hands roughly equal to your frequency of bluffs. If these two frequencies are out of sync, you become exploitable.
Balancing your value betting and bluffing frequencies does not imply that you divide them 50/50. According to game theory, the optimal equilibrium when playing against a near-perfect opponent is one in which your opponent is damned if he calls and damned if he does not. If he calls, he pays off your strong hands; if he folds, you win your bluffs. In game theory, the optimum balanced frequencies against such an outstanding opponent would be determined by the pot odds your opponent has to call. If you place a pot-sized wager, your opponent will receive a 2-to-1 call. (Betting $100 into a $100 pot gives your opponent a chance to win $200 with a risk of
$100.) According to game theorists, the best frequency with this bet size when holding the nuts or nothing is two value bets for every one bluff, or 67 percent value bets and 33 percent bluffs.
If you bet half-pot, you give your opponent a 3-to-1 advantage, and your ideal balance would be approximately three value bets for each bluff.
In practice, you can’t perfect your plan to hit these frequencies every time. Neither do you want to! Your opponents are not near-perfect. They have vulnerabilities, which you should exploit. For example, they will generally overestimate your bluffing frequency, allowing you to bluff less frequently. Simply make sure that your river betting ranges contain far more value bets than bluffs. Similarly, ensure that you build enough river bluffs.
For example, suppose you bet only the nuts on strong hands while betting all of your broken draws on bluffs. You would make a lot of large river bets. Any opponent who has seen you play for a while will recognize that when you bet the river, you are nearly always bluffing, as catching the nuts is uncommon. Rarely, bluffing is as terrible because an opponent can confidently assume you have a strong hand when you wager.
Because you should maintain your polarized range balanced, the fewer hands you value bet, the fewer bluffs you can execute. If you don’t value bet aggressively enough, you’ll not only miss out on wagers you could have won with weaker cards, but you’ll also have to forgo advantageous bluffs in the future to keep your range balanced. Checking down rivers obsessively is a double-edged sword that will destroy your bankroll.
Most players check so many rivers because they are afraid of raising or checkraising. For the most part, the dread is unfounded. Yes, if you start betting more rivers, you will be bluff-raised more frequently. However, it will not be a frequent occurrence. Meanwhile, you’ll be extracting more value from good cards and winning more pots through clever bluffing. Over time, the extra money you make from your aggressive river strategy will far outweigh the amount you lose to the rare well-timed bluff raise.
Bet the river. This could be the single most significant thing you do better than your $1-$2 competitors after reading this article. River bets are enormous and profitable. Do not be shy. You can bet your hand. Your opponents will call you with weaker hands. When you bet top pair on the river, second pair, third pair, unimproved pocket pairs, and even ace-high will call. Why are they calling? Because you might be bluffing.
Now you could be thinking, “I’m not going to start wagering top pair on all three streets every time. That’s a recipe for getting me stacked every time someone makes two pairs or better!” You don’t want to just throw money into the pot every time you flip a pair. Going for value is more involved than betting like a robot. Nonetheless, betting the river with medium-strength hands has a significant favorable impact on your approach. What is the solution to this problem?
Plan your bets from the beginning. Consider your entire hand range, not just the hand you now hold. In this situation, you have top pair, but your opponent’s hand could be a flush draw, a straight draw, or overcards. Plan your bets on all three streets so that if the turn and river cards are favorable, your top pair will appear like a busted flush by the river. This could include checking the flop or turn. Alternatively, it could imply placing a little, insignificant gamble at some point. Then, bet big on the river and wait for your opponent to call off your “bluff.” If you play this way, you’ll get more value out of weaker hands while also offsetting your infrequent loses when your opponent has a monster.
Also, don’t be too concerned about the hands your opponent may have. Consider the hands he is likely to have. For example, if you hold KQ on a K8467 board and bet the K84 flop, and your opponent calls, he is unlikely to have a five. Few hands with a five would consider calling the flop. He is far more likely to hold a hand like TT or KT. Do not be afraid of a hand simply because it is possible.
Plan your bets with solid hands. You’ll get more value and balance your bluffs. Use the examples below to ignite your ideas. Getting value for good hands involves as much creativity and planning as selecting the perfect conditions to bluff.
However, keep in mind that the river is the most profitable round. Adopting a more aggressive river approach can make you much more difficult to play against, giving you a significant advantage over your competitors.
Planning Betting Lines Around The Commitment Threshold
You’re playing a 6-handed $1-$2 game with $200 effective stacks. The first two players fold, leaving the 27/25 cutoff open for $7. The button has a little blind flap. You’re in the huge blind with K ♥Q♥.
The cutoff is an aggressive player who can open up a large range in late position. He is astute, and his betting range is limited to three bets. You feel comfortable playing against him postflop, so you flat call the preflop raise.
The flop shows 8♥ 4♣ 2♥, resulting in two overcards and a flush draw. You are the first to act. What should you do?
Sketching various postflop lines can be really useful in this case. Let us outline the necessary information.
Stack-to-pot ratios. (See sidebar.) SPR is extremely useful in postflop planning, even if it is not your major preflop concern. Here, the pot is $15 and the remaining stacks are $193, so your SPR is approximately 13. In other words, there are three pot-sized bets remaining before you go all-in. That’s a crucial thing to understand.
Discover your opponent’s hand range and tendencies. The cutoff’s range is wide and usually weak. His powerful hands consist of sets and large overpairs. His medium hands feature modest overpairs and a top pair. His weak hands consist of underpairs and no pairings. He is prone to aggression. He will undoubtedly commit with his good cards, but he will also bluff if you select the correct postflop line.
Your equity and how your opponent perceives you. You have two large overcards and a flush draw. You are the favorite over the majority of the cutoff’s hand combinations, and your equity is superior to his range. However, keep in mind that a blank turn significantly reduces your equity. That is relevant because you are out of place. In terms of perceptions, you believe he sees you as solid. Depending on the outcome of the action, he might contemplate laying down medium strength hands.
The above outline indicates that committing to your hand is acceptable because your equity is robust even against your opponent’s all-in range. Ideally, you want to be the one who places the final all-in wager. This manner, you maximize fold equity. Also, while you prefer to get all- in on the flop, you don’t mind getting it in on a blank turn so long as you are the one making the final bet. Calling an all-in on a blank turn is the least desirable option.
So, you have a couple options for postflop lines. You can check the flop. Your opponent will c-bet a large percentage of the time. When he does, you can make a big checkraise. However, you should probably overbet if you choose this line. If you make a standard sized checkraise, your opponent will have the option of making the final commitment bet.
Also, your opponent might view a standard sized checkraise as a bluff some percentage of the time, and he might decide to commit with some of his medium strength hands. Either of these lines loses fold equity. Checkraising all-in solves that problem, but it’s a big overbet. Unless you balance your range by overbetting with other types of hands, your opponent might pinpoint your holding as a semibluff with a flush draw.
Another—and perhaps better—option is to lead into your opponent on the flop. Leading into the preflop raiser on an 8-high board may appear weak to him. Since he’s aggressive, he may bluff raise a fair percentage of the time. He may also raise with some of his medium strength hands to take control and gain information. If he does raise, then you can reraise all-in. That way you take advantage of fold equity, and you have two streets to hit your hand if he does call.
Stack-To-Pot Ratios
A stack-to-pot ratio, or SPR, is a number that indicates the pot’s size in relation to the remaining stacks. In a heads-up pot, divide the size of the smaller remaining stack by the pot size on the flop before betting. For example:
You raise to $5 and make the huge blind call. The pot is $11. The huge blind has $150, and you are $400 behind. Your SPR equals $150 (the smaller of the two stacks) divided by $11 (the pot size), or around 14.
SPRs help to balance the danger and reward of going all-in. Suppose you raise with A♥ Q§ and the flip is A♦6♠ 6§. With an SPR of 2 (e.g., $40 stacks and a $20 pot), you’re likely to commit to the hand regardless of the action. The pot would be far too large to consider switching from top pair/good kicker. However, with an SPR of 10 (for example, $200 stacks and a $20 pot), you would frequently be taking the worst case scenario if all of the money went in.
Calculating the SPR is a good exercise since it provides you with an instant, specific figure to utilize when deciding whether to commit to a hand or not. It helps you design your postflop strategy. You don’t utilize it alone; rather, it supplements your hand reading. For example, you might commit to a hand against a crazy player with an SPR of 8, but consider folding the same hand under intense pressure from a nit with an SPR of 4. And you could commit against the nit with an SPR of one.
Here are a few key concepts about their use:
- Do not waste time calculating SPRs to three decimals. “It’s about 4” or “It’s around 10” is all the precision required.
- Top pair hands, such as AQo, typically profit more from low SPRs below 5.
- It is considerably easier to steal if you can fold the top pair. When postflop stealing is an important aspect of your strategy, you prefer high SPRs that let you to force the top pair to fold. Usually, this necessitates an SPR of at least 8.
- Pairs and little card hands, such as 86s, perform better with SPRs of at least 10. High SPRs are required for huge implied odds and provide more opportunities to steal.
- Dry boards like A♦6♠ 6 need low SPRs to commit to medium-strength hands. Similarly, bet sizes should generally be smaller.
- On coordinated boards like J♠ 9 8♠, you can commit to made hands with relatively high SPRs if your opponents go all-in with draws.
Even with SPRs well above 5, it can be lucrative to go all-in with the top pair as a decent kicker online. This is because online play is generally more aggressive than live play.
Like estimated odds and hand reading, SPR is merely a technique. However, mastering its utilization will allow you to make more confident and precise commitment selections.
If you lead into your opponent on the flop, he may flat-call rather than raise. If he believes your lead is weak, he may choose to float you. He may also flat call with his medium-strength hands to keep the pot modest. If the turn is blank, you can checkraise all in.
This takes advantage of his deceptive aggressiveness. However, he may check behind with some of his hands in order to reach the showdown. In general, the more probable you believe your opponent would bet the turn, the more you should consider checkraising all-in on the turn. The more probable you believe he is gonna check behind, the more you should consider firing another barrel on the turn.
Outlining potential betting lines can be extremely beneficial to successful postflop play. Consider the typical relevant data, such as SPR, hand ranges, equity, inclinations, and perceptions. In cases where you are out of position with a large draw, try to arrange your line such that you can take advantage of fold equity, which is generally achieved by placing the final and largest bet.
Ace-Ten Suited In The Cutoff
Effective stacks cost $200. When everyone folds to you in the cutoff, you raise to $7 with A♦T♦. The button presses, and the blinds close. The flop shows T♠ 5♥ 2♣. The pot is $17, you both have $193 remaining, and you are the first to act. What should you do?
Create a plan. As always, your strategy should be based on ranges, habits, stack and pot sizes. Let’s look at many choices dependent on the opponents.
Your opponent is loose
He plays over half of the hands dealt to him. His range on this flop is fairly broad, including many inferior hands like as any ten with a poor kicker and smaller pairs. Even with a somewhat high SPR (about 11), you can commit profitably against this opponent with top pair/top kicker. Determine the best approach to get all of the money in. If he is aggressive, check in with him about the checkraising strategy.
If he’s passive, the greatest strategy is to value bet him aggressively. Recognize that the turn may occasionally offer a scare card (any jack, queen, or king), and you may need to reconsider your commitment decision or adjust your value betting line. However, if the turn is a card fewer than ten, keep the pedal to the metal.
Your opponent is fairly tight and plays reasonably postflop
He’ll almost never go all-in on this board with a worse hand than yours. You should not have committed anything against him. That is not to say that you cannot acquire value from your hand. If he is passive and will call at least one bet with a hand similar to a medium pocket pair, wager two-thirds of the pot, or whatever amount you would typically c-bet. Then consider examining the turn and placing a value bet on the River. Assuming your opponent is unlikely to bluff, you should fold if he exhibits aggression. For example, if he calls you on the flop and then bets heavily on the turn when you check, you should consider checkfolding.
Even if he raises you on the flop, you should consider folding because he rarely raises with a bad hand. Another alternative is to check the flop and try to extract some value from the turn and river. The bottom line is that you should play a tiny pot.
A tight opponent may call a flop bet with a hand such as pocket eights, but will most likely fold to a turn bet, especially if the turn is an overcard. This means a turn bet is less rewarding for you. However, it should provide you with suggestions for how to play other hands. For example, if you have 7♦6♦ instead of A♦T♦, you may bet a queen on the turn knowing your opponent will fold many of his marginal hands.
Your opponent is cunning and aggressive, but also intelligent. You might have a conditional commitment against this opponent. For example, if you believe he would bluff-raise you on the flip and then continue to bluff on the turn, try betting the flop, calling his raise, and then checkraising all-in on the turn. If he’ll bet worse hands if you check, consider checking first and then doing something stupid to induce a bluff, such as minraising or raising tiny. If he’s the kind to fire three barrels on a stone cold bluff, you might want to try checkcalling all the way. However, keep in mind that making plays like this requires a thorough understanding of your opponent.
Pay special attention to the tendencies of challenging opponents. Their ranges are more difficult to narrow than ordinary opponents’, so you must focus on certain patterns. For example, suppose you know your opponent frequently bets the flip with air but seldom fires a second barrel. You could checkcall the flop with the intention of checkfolding the turn if he bets. Or, say your opponent will happily fire two barrels on a bluff, but almost never fire a third. You might checkcall twice with the plan of checkfolding to a big river bet.
Getting Value In Medium And Small Pots
Playing large pots is frequently easier than playing medium and tiny ones. If you’ve been following our advise, when you make large pots, you’ll know whether you’re serious or not. However, medium and small pots, practically by necessity, necessitate more decision making. With more money in the stacks compared to the pot, you are more inclined to play postflop streets and make more decisions.
Winning in 6-max games requires good play in medium and small pots. In these scenarios, ranges are typically wider, and hand reading is essential.
In medium and small pots, your goals should be to collect information quickly, extract value from inferior hands, and maintain control over the pot. Let’s look at few examples. Unless otherwise stated, all are from six-handed $1-$2 games with effective stacks of $200.
Checking Behind On The Turn For Pot Control
You open for $7 at the cutoff with K♥ J♥. The button folds, and an aggressive opponent calls from the small blind. The large blind folds.
The flop is K ♦T ♣ 5♠. The little blind checks and you bet.
$11 goes into the $16 pot. He calls.
The turn is 6♠. The smaller blind checks. Your opponent is crafty, and a turn checkraise would force you to make a difficult decision. You opt to check with the goal of making a river bet. This is a traditional pot control line with top pair and medium kicker.
If you had a middle pair, you might bet the turn. A turn checkraise bothers you less since you have less pot equity than your opponent. Also, calling a river bet is less valuable. However, with top pair, checking the turn to catch a bluff (or weak value bet) on the river is a wise move.
Betting The Turn In A Multiway Pot
Everyone folds to you on the button with K♠ 8♠. You raise to $5. You are fine with winning the blinds outright, but if called, you are content to play a postflop pot from position. Both blinds call.
The flop is K ♦T ♣ 5♠. The 29/17 small blind leads for $10, while the big blind calls. The little blind is quite loose, allowing him to hold a variety of hands on this board. You haven’t played much with the big blind, thus his range is less familiar to you. You do have top pair in a three-handed “button versus blinds” pot, though. In these instances, ranges are typically wider, and you may have the upper hand. You decide to make a flat call for $10. This helps you to keep the pot small for now while gathering additional information on the turn.
The turn is the Q♥. Both players check with you. You should wager because your opponents are most likely weak. On this board, inferior hands such as a pair and a straight draw will call you, while only really strong cards will checkraise. It makes no logic to offer each player a free card. Checking the turn and calling a river bet does not provide high value because your opponents are unlikely to bluff. They usually have better hands than you, or they want to see a showdown. In addition, opponents tend to play more straightforwardly in multiway pots. Bet nearly two-thirds of the pot, then fold to a checkraise.
Overriding Pot Control
You open for $5 on the button with T♥ 9♥ and only accept huge blind callers. He is a loose-passive player with a rating of 38/4.
The flop is K ♦T ♣ 5♠. The large blind checks, and you wager $8. This gamble serves two purposes: gathering knowledge and extracting value from weaker hands. Your opponent’s response to the bet will help you reduce his options. If he checkraises, he’s probably have you beat and you can easily fold. If he calls, he could have one of several worse hands, including a straight draw, an ace, any pocket pair, or a 5.
If the turn comes up blank, you should consider betting again. If he checkraises you there, he’s probably crushing you with a slowplayed monster. You don’t mind that he’s making you make a commitment decision because you have no plan of calling.
Controlling the pot to your liking sometimes entails denying your opponent the opportunity to challenge you to a stack decision unless you are sure in your decision. You are confident that you will fold if checkraised, therefore denying a free card and extracting value from weaker hands comes first.
Checking The Flop
You open for $7 in the hijack using A♣ 2♣. There are just 22/20 little blind calls. He is a reliable regular in this game.
The flop is A♦9♥3♠. The smaller blind checks. This is a decent position to occasionally inspect the flip. A free card is unlikely to harm you, and it may even benefit you if your opponent draws a pair on the turn. Alternatively, he may opt to look you up on the turn and/or river with a hand that he would have folded on the flop.
Checking the flip works better with the top pair than the second pair. You should wager the second pair since you are less concerned about a checkraise. Checking the flop also works better with a higher top pair. Top pair of aces is ideal for this move, however top pair of tens isn’t as good because so many overcards can appear. With the top pair of kings, you can also check the flop. Because there are eight viable overcards, deciding on the best pair of queens is a judgment call.
Saving Your Value For The River
The button opens for $7, and the little blind folds. You’re in the big blind with Q ♦T♦. Folding isn’t a terrible plan. The button is a consistent player who plays roughly 25% of his hands and raises 20% of the time. However, his button opening range is greater. You believe he will open roughly one-third of his hands on the button, so frequently folding your blinds to his late position steals is not ideal. You should be able to defend yourself, especially when your hand has good equity versus his range, like Q ♦T♦. Reraising him and calling are both viable options, especially if you are comfortable playing a postflop pot out of position against him. You choose to call.
The flop is Q♣ J♥6♠, giving you top pair. The pot is $15, and you have $193 remaining. You are not willing to go all-in, so you choose a line that keeps the pot small. You check, and your opponent bets $11. You make a call.
The turn is 5♦. You check, and the button checks back.
The river is a 9♣. You lead for half the pot, in part because you believe your opponent would only raise with better hands, but will occasionally call with poorer hands such as a weaker queen, a jack, or even less. Most significantly, you believe you will be ahead of average when he calls. You might bet more if he believed you were bluffy, or if you thought a lesser stake would result in a raise you didn’t want to confront. You may check to see if your opponent would rarely call with a lower hand, but would raise or bluff if checked. Against ordinary opponents, a half pot value stake is effective.
Changing Your Commitment Plan, But Still Value Betting
You raise to $7 under the gun with black kings, and only the button responds. He is a quality player with a 19/17 record. He sees you as knowledgeable and assertive.
The flop shows Q ♦6♦4♣. Your opponent might easily raise and go all-in on this flop if they have a nice queen or flush draw. So, you bet!
$13 into the $17 pot and intend to commit. If he calls, you’ll reconsider the issue at the turn. The button makes a call.
The turn is J♦. This is not the right card for you. It completes the flush and may have given your opponent two pairs. If you go all-in here for $180 into a $43 pot, you are normally in horrible shape and may draw dead. You decide to end your commitment. Even if you check, your opponent may still wager some of his weaker hands. So you decide to checkcall and then reconsider on the river. You check, and he looks behind.
The river is 7♥. As in the previous hand, you lead for half the pot because you believe your opponent will only raise with stronger hands but will occasionally call with inferior ones. (The same caveats apply). Even if you are uncommitted, you can still extract benefit.
Eking Out Value On The River
You open for $7 in the hijack with A♥ Q ♥ and only make large blind callers. He is a dependable regular who occasionally errs on the loose and passive side. His statistics are 26/12.
The flop is K♥ 8♣ 5♣. The large blind checks and you c-bet.
$11 goes into the $15 pot. He calls.
The turn is A♣. Because your opponent is predictable, you choose to play for value versus weaker hands, like as a pair with a club, but intend to fold if checkraised. You bet $25 on the $37 pot. He calls.
The river is 2♥. Your opponent checks. Do you usually check here? If so, you are losing value. Your opponent has revealed vulnerability and is aware of it. If you stake another $25, he will frequently look you up for anything with showdown value. These small river value bets have a significant impact on your bottom line. Eke out value wherever you can.
A7s From The Cutoff
You are still in a 6-handed $1-$2 game with $200 effective stacks. The first two players fold. You scored A♠ 7♠ in the cutoff. The 28/24 button is a formidable opponent, and both blinds are weak. You rise to $7. The button presses, and the blinds close. The flop is A♥ 9♣ 5♠. How should you proceed?
You are not committed if you have top pair/weak kicker and an SPR of 11 on an uncoordinated flop versus a solid player. So, normally, the idea is to keep the pot small. Many players realize this, but use pot control in an inefficient manner. Specifically, they bet the flip and check the turn. Betting on the flop can backfire. This opponent can raise with a variety of hands, including full air. If he raises your flop bet, you will not know where you stand.
You should check the flip frequently. You keep the pot modest from the start, denying your opponent’s stack leverage. You encourage him to bluff, but do not let him intimidate you with a committed decision. Weaker hands that check behind are drawing thin, so a free card rarely helps your opponent. Those identical weaker hands may call a value bet on the turn or river if you checked the flop.
If you check the flip and he bets $12, you should call. The cards you draw on the turn and river determine how you proceed, as does your opponent’s level of aggression. If he isn’t very aggressive, you could consider checkfolding the turn. If he’s aggressive but doesn’t frequently three-barrel bluff, you could try checkcalling the turn but folding to a large river bet. If he’s overly aggressive, you might consider checkcalling him all the way down, but only if you have a good feel on the opponent.
You should also consider checkraising the flop. A checkraise effectively converts your hand into a bluff because you are virtually never called by a worse hand. However, it has a few benefits:
- You make it difficult for your opponent to bluff.
- The rest of the hand is straightforward to play since until you improve, you’re practically done with the hand, with the exception of possibly calling a tiny bet.
- You penalize him for betting the flop when you check, which helps you fight against checks with weak draws and made hands.
Furthermore, if your opponent rarely fires more than one barrel, denying him a free card is more valuable. The disadvantage of checkraising is that you dissuade him from bluffing again with weaker hands and lose more money versus stronger hands. You also expose yourself to a rebluff or a delayed bluff if your opponent is clever and aggressive enough to attempt those moves.
The final item to consider is folding preflop. While you would have preferred to raise and play the hand heads up against one of the weak blinds, you may need to change your opening plan if a strong player is directly to your left. If he is really aggressive and frequently responds to your preflop raises from a steal position, consider tightening up a little. You may also change seats.
The Freeze Play
Effective stacks are $250. A decent 23/19 player starts at $7 in the hijack seat. The cutoff folds with A♦Q♦ on the button. Both blinds are tight and uninspiring. The hijack’s opening range is fairly extensive. You had the option of calling or reraising in this location, but you chose to call. Calling keeps him in the pot with a few strong hands that may fold to a reraise.
The blinds fold, and you find yourself heads-up in a $17 pot. The flop is A♠ K♥ 9♣. Your opponent bets $12, and you call. You choose not to raise for a number of reasons, the most important of which is that you do not want to exclude him if he has an ace and a weak kicker. On average, you will profit the most from this hand if the final pot is medium size. You do not have a strong enough hand to go all-in against this opponent.
The turn is 8♠. Your opponent adds $26 to the $41 pot. This opponent would gamble the turn with a somewhat large range. The player may have a strong hand (e.g., two pair or set), a weaker hand (e.g., ace with lower kicker), or a drawing hand (e.g., J♠T♠). What should you do?
A reasonable approach is to freeze the action by increasing the minimum to $52. The slight increase offers several advantages. It derives value from less attractive hands. Because the raise is low, your opponent may be perplexed, but they will usually call with hands like ace-jack or ace-ten. This has certain advantages if the river is a fear card.
With the growth, drawing hands becomes profitable. It does not price specific drawings, but it does charge for them. It also frequently reveals your opponent’s draw, letting you to make an informed decision on the river. Consider the following scenario: he calls your minraise and then goes all-in on a 7♠ river. You can easily fold against most $1-$2 gamers.
Another advantage of the small raise is that it allows you to exit cheaply when your opponent holds a strong hand. If you minraise on the turn and he reraises significantly, you’re almost always well behind and frequently drawing dead. If you call the turn and your opponent bets big on a blank river, you’ll lose more money to his strong hands.
Small turn raises work best when you have a well-made hand with little room for development and are unsure if you are trailing a good hand, ahead of a lesser-made hand, or up against a draw. If you have a strong hand with a lot of outs, such as top pair or a huge flush draw, you should call more frequently. This is because you do not want to be blown off your draw if your opponent reraises with a powerful hand.
Turn miniraises are also much more effective in position. You can use it out of context on occasion, but the showdown benefits will be less significant. When you minraise in position between $1 and $2, your opponent will usually reraise the turn with strong cards and call with draws and modest ones. If he makes a flat call, he usually checks the river. Your opponent’s check to you on the river contributes significantly to the play’s worth. If you minraise out of position, your opponent will make the final betting decision knowing you checked the river and are most likely weaker than your turn raise indicated.
An out-of-position turn raise may compel him to check behind on the river anyhow, but it is riskier. Assume you’re out of position, check-minraise the turn, and he calls. If the river is blank and you check, he may make a large bluff with a busted draw. Alternatively, he might value bet a better hand because you checked.
This tactic may not be suitable for use against predictable river players. For example, if your opponent is unlikely to call a raise on the turn or bet the river with a worse hand, you are better suited flat calling the turn and folding to a river bet.
Do not employ this strategy against players who may reraise your freeze with a weaker hand. For example, if a clever, devious player discovers what you’re up to, he may go all-in on your turn raise with a big draw, expecting you’ll fold. Also, if your opponent is so aggressive that he frequently bets the river with busted draws, you should call the turn before betting on the river.
Finally, the freeze play does not have to involve a minimum raise. The goal is simply to make a turn raise that freezes up poorer hands while without committing against better ones. Whatever boost size achieves that is OK.
Here is another example.
Effective stacks are $400. You open for $7 in the cutoff with Q ♥Q♠. Only the big blind calls.
The flop comes J♣ T♣ 6♥. Your opponent leads for $10 into the $15 pot. You make a call.
The turn is the 2♠. Your opponent bets $25 into the $35 pot. You make it $60, and your opponent calls.
The river is the 8♣ . Your opponent checks. Freeze accomplished, you check behind. What do you expect him to have?
Sometimes he shows a jack or weaker pair and you win. Sometimes he shows a flush. Only rarely will he show a strong non- flush hand. Overall, on average you profit from the small turn raise. If he blows you off the turn by reraising big, so be it. The vast majority of the time he does that he’ll be ahead, so you can safely fold. And you didn’t have enough outs to worry about drawing.
If he instead would push the turn with draws or other weaker hands, the small turn raise loses value.
An Uncommon Line With Top Pair
It is vital to vary your playstyle. Sometimes you should play similar hands differently, and other times you should play different hands the same way. Following this simple rule will make it much harder for opponents to read your hands.
Often, you should play a hand in a non-standard method, even if you believe the typical way would be more profitable for this particular hand. Poker is always played in context, and no-limit poker is especially context-sensitive. You want your opponents to misread your hands and be bewildered by your play. Confusion eventually leads your opponents to make major mistakes against you. If you can create some misunderstanding in exchange for a few theoretical pennies in stock, go ahead.
This hand took place in a $1-$2 6-max game. The effective stacks cost $230. The cutoff opens at 7♥ 6♥ for $7, with just the aggressive big blind calling.
The flop is 6♦3♣ 2♠, indicating a favorable outcome for the hand. The huge blind checks, and instead of making the traditional play of betting on
$11 is the cutoff for checks.
The turn is the T♠, which results in a flush draw. The huge blind bets $5, and the cutoff goes up to $15.
The big blind thinks briefly, types “Nice aces,” then folds.
From the large blind’s perspective, this betting pattern corresponds to pocket aces. Because the flop is short and ragged, a player with pocket aces looking for action may be unconcerned with handing up a free card and checking behind. Nonetheless, the pocket ace read was clearly incorrect. You want your opponents to have awful reads like this one. Perhaps it didn’t help the cutoff on this specific hand, but if you play in a difficult-to-decode manner over time, your opponent will ultimately trip himself up.
Returning to the hand, sometimes checking behind on the flop provides two tactical benefits over the normal bet. First, the big blind is aggressive, thus checking behind controls the pot and increases the likelihood that the pair will go to showdown. Second, checking behind may result in a bluff. The obvious disadvantage to checking is that a free card could outperform you. It’s a trade-off.
The turn raise in this hand is aimed to perform three things:
- It stops the betting and helps the couple reach showdown. If the big blind takes further action following this raise, the cutoff can place him in a better position to fold. If the large blind folds or calls and checks the river, the cutoff may show the hand down.
- It punishes the large blind for semibluffing a flush draw and may cause a slightly stronger hand to fold. For example, if the large blind has 9♣ 6♣, he can lay it down and raise.
You should not play a weak top pair like this all the time, but it does have certain advantages over a flop bet. It works especially effectively against aggressive opponents. Test it out.
An Overpair Value Bet
Effective stacks cost $140. Our Hero opens the pot for $7 from the second seat with K ♥K ♠. Both blinds call, making it three players to the flop with a $21 pot.
The flop is 8♣ 8♠3♥, giving Hero an overpair and position on a dry, drawless board. The 25/9 small blind bets $12, which is little more than half of the pot. The large blind folds. The hero calls.
The turn is an 8♥, and the small blind bets $20, which is less than half of the $45 pot. Hero calls again.
The river is Q♥. The small blind checks, and Hero stakes the pot.
$85. The small blind thinks and calls, displaying 6♦6♠. Pocket kings are good.
When you have an overpair on a paired dry flop and no straight or flush draws, you are in a classic well ahead or far behind situation. Either your opponent has trips or a full house and you are drawing to two outs, or you have him crushed and he is drawing to six or fewer outs.
In cases where you are far ahead or far behind, you should typically dial down your aggression and place tiny bets or let your opponent handle the betting. If you’re really behind, you’ll be glad you didn’t take further action. And if you’re really ahead, you don’t want to offer your opponent a free fold.
For example, if Hero had raised to $48 on the flop, many players would have folded their sixes, figuring that only a larger pocket pair or trips would bet that much. Hero kept his opponent guessing by flat calling the flop. The little blind can hope his opponent has two large unpaired cards.
Furthermore, because Hero is so far ahead, his opponent is unlikely to draw out on him. There is no rush to get the money in. There are two more betting rounds, and Hero holds a position that allows him to bet at any time.
Following the turn, Hero’s way ahead or way behind status is established, and he is a strong favorite to be way ahead. The 8♥ card is beneficial for pocket kings in two ways:
In the odd scenario that the small blind holds pocket threes, the kings have pulled out.
The emergence of a third eight reduces the likelihood that the little blind holds one.
Hero flat calls the weak turn bet for the identical reasons he did the flop. He has another round to obtain value for his hand, and he wants his opponent to think of him as having a broad range. If at all possible, avoid giving your opponents a cheap signal to fold weaker hands.
Once the small blind has checked the river Q♥, it is time for Hero to
Spring to life. Given the weak leads on the flop and turn, the small blind is likely to have a smaller pocket pair. Hero should bet a sum that smaller pairings are likely to call. Against really loose players, this could be an all-in move. Against tight players, a half-pot bet may be preferable.
Some players are hesitant to call value bets, particularly if the hand is marginal, such as a pocket pair that is smaller than a top pair. Sometimes letting your opponent a little space after the call increases your chances of getting the call.
The river value bet is the crucial decision in this hand. Checking these kings down would be disastrous against most opponents. You are a heavy favorite to lead on the river, and weaker hands will frequently call, so don’t be afraid to wager for value.
Lessons for this hand:
- When you’re far ahead or far behind, consider allowing your opponent to push the bet.
- The turn card making trips increased the chances of the massive overpair being ahead.
- Even though it is not a sure thing, a bold river value bet in this case provides the best long-term return.
A Top Pair Value Bet
You’re participating in a $1-$2 game with $200 stacks. You open on the button with K ♥ 9♥, totaling $6. Only the big blind, a rather passive and ordinary 24/14 player, calls. You believe the table perceives you as a touch aggressive.
The flop is K ♦8♠ 4♣, resulting in top pair on a ragged board. Your opponent checks; you stake $11, and he calls. The turn is 3♥. Your opponent checks, and you check. The river is 6♥. Your opponent checks again.
You should bet on value. Consider your opponent’s range. Preflop, you opened on the button, and he called from the blind. His range is quite broad, and he’s calling from the large blind against a possible button steal.
Your opponent checked the flop, and you placed a continuation bet. His call is little more telling. The board is dry, so he most likely holds a made hand rather than a draw. He’s presumably aware that you c-bet with made hands and air, so he may call with weak hands like as an eight, a four, a small pocket pair, or even ace high. Other possibilities include a king or better, albeit he might have checkraised with a powerful hand.
On the turn, a blank appears, so you check behind. Because the board is still relatively devoid of draws, if you’re ahead, your opponent is likely to have no more than five outs, therefore checking will rarely cost you the pot. This check keeps the pot small and sends your opponent to the river with his full weak flop-calling range. Many of the cards in his flop-calling range are good enough to call a small river bet, but too weak to call a turn bet with another river bet coming.
After your opponent checks a blank river, you are free to wager for value. You have top pair with a good kicker, and your opponent still has a variety of hands he might call with on the flop. You can also ignore the stronger hands in that range because of his turn and river checks. If he had flipped a set or top two, he might have checked both the flop and the turn. However, after your turn check, the majority of players will bet the river at least occasionally. His river check indicates he has a weak crafted hand. Your hand is the favorite in his river bet calling range.
What amount should you bet? The pot is $35. If you bet the pot, your opponent will fold many of the hands you want him to call. Try a gamble of half the pot, say $20. You lose less when you are beaten, and you promote a wider range of hands to call.
Against a loose player, you might want to explore a different line. Instead of checking the turn, consider risking roughly $20 and following up with a
Place a $20 to $40 bet on the river. To play for three bets, he should be loose enough to call down with hands like as K♣ 5♣, 9♠ 9♦, and A♦8♣.
Out of Position On The River
When you’re playing a large pot out of position, river scare cards can be really problematic. They tempt you to check, but before you do, think about your possibilities. Sometimes you should bet regardless.
For example, suppose your opponent has a lesser stack of $125. You open for $7 from two off the button with A♥ A♦. Only the button initiates the call. The flop shows T ♥ 6♥ 6♣. You place a $15 stake, and the button calls. The pot is now $47. The turn is a 9♣. You place a $40 stake, and your opponent calls. The pot is now at $127. The final board reads T♥ 6♥6♣ 9♣ 8♦. Your opponent has $63 left, which is little over half of the pot.
The river card created a four-straight on the board. Furthermore, you may be behind due to a trip six or a complete house. But, before you cower in dread, evaluate your opponent’s habits. Depending on how your opponent plays, going all-in, checkcalling, or checkfolding may all be the best options.
If your opponent is aggressive and enjoys bluffing and scaring cards, the natural instinct to check and call may be the correct play. He may have a busted heart draw or a little pocket pair and be unable to resist wagering. In this position, some bluffy players may fire away with strange holdings, such as Q ♦9♦.
CheckCalling a bluffy player works best when he bets multiple cards worse than yours after a check, which he would otherwise fold to. For example, if you bet the river all-in, your betting pattern will appear fairly strong. You raised preflop and then bet big at every occasion, regardless of the scary card. If your opponent has a hand like Q ♦9♦, they might reluctantly fold. Checking and calling are effective against an opponent who will exploit your show of weakness.
If your opponent is hesitant and inactive, checking and folding may be the best strategy, despite the fact that half the money is already in the middle. A hesitant player may fold to a bet on this frightening board if there are no trips or better. A hesitant player may only gamble this river if they have a straight or better. Because he’ll rarely call you with a weaker hand and rarely bet a hand you can beat, you can’t profit from either betting or calling. So, inspect and fold.
If your opponent is loose, skeptical of you, or otherwise lousy, going all-in can be your greatest move. Sure, he will occasionally have a straight or a complete house. If the player frequently calls with hands like K♦T♠, T♦9♦, or even 2♥ 2♣, going all-in is more effective than checking.
Overall, the river fright card transfers value from you to your opponent, and his position enables him to capitalize on this move. He can fold his poor hands to your all-in or check them behind you.
Loose or suspicious opponents fail to capitalize on this shift. They call your bets with too broad a range. Timid players also miss opportunities by checking behind with too many hands. Against a strong opponent, you often have to accept your lumps. With $127 in the pot and $63 behind, a river call will yield a 3-to-1 payout. If you check and your opponent bets weaker hands than yours four times or more, you must call because of the pot odds. He wins the bet, but your prediction is correct*.
Surprisingly, sometimes you should still go all-in against strong opponents. This is a defensive bet. It works when you anticipate calls from a significant number of second-best hands that your opponent would otherwise pass up. For example, suppose your opponent is astute enough that if you check, he will value bet with trips, straights, and full houses and bluff around one-fourth of the time with air, an eight, or pocket underpair. He will check behind with a 10 or nine because he understands you must call with anything that beats those hands. If a player’s tens and nines dominate his bluffing hands, it is better to push than check.
Here is another example of a river fright card in a large pot. Hero owns $294. His opponent, a very loose and weak player with 65/35 statistics, has him covered. He’s playing erratically postflop. He’s been fortunate thus far, building up a sizable stack.
- The poor player bets $7 on the button. The hero raises from the big blind to $22 using T♣ T♠, and the button calls.
- The flop shows 9♠ 6♣ 4♦. The hero wagers $30, and the button calls. The turn is a 6♥. The hero wagers $70, and the button calls.
- The river is known as the J♥. Hero asks for $172, and the button responds with 8♣ 8♥.
After flipping an overpair and surviving the middle card pairing on the turn without being raised, Hero can expect his overpair to be far ahead of this bad player’s range. The river jack is a minor fear card, as there is no reason to suppose the button contains a jack. Because this opponent is wild and unpredictable, he could easily call a massive river bet with a weaker hand.
Bad players like these make poor river calls. Do not give them more credit than they deserve. When you’re out of position and unsure whether to value bet against such an opponent, simply put your money in. Also, remember to mark the name so you can find him later.
When a Bad River Card Should Not Affect Your Commitment Plan
Stacks are $200 in this 6-player $1-$2 game. You raise to $7 under the gun with K♠ K♣. A loose player presses the button, and everyone else folds. This opponent has been at the table for an hour, playing 70% of his hands. He has made a number of poor post-flop decisions.
The flop is J♥ T♦ 5♣. The pot is $17 and the remaining stacks total $193. You are the first to act. What’s your plan?
Commit. Your opponent has a very broad range, and he is likely to pay you off with a weak hand. Your strategy should be to value bet aggressively and try to go all-in.
You place a $15 wager, and your opponent calls.
The turn is the 4♥. You place a $45 stake, and your opponent calls.
The river, the 9♥, allows for both a straight and flush.
Should the bad river card impact your commitment strategy?
No. You have less than a pot-sized stake remaining, and your opponent’s range still contains numerous poor hands. Furthermore, if you checked, you’d probably say he was all in. Because you do not intend to fold, you should bet the remaining funds yourself. That manner, you prevent your loose opponent from checking behind with weak calling hands.
The river card was not particularly pleasant. Your opponent may have outdrawn you by making a straight, flush, or two pair. Nonetheless, the situation requires you to stay committed and stake the remainder of your chips.
When a Bad River Card Should Affect Your Commitment Plan
Stacks remain at $200. You raise to $7 under the gun with K♠ K♣. A decent and reasonably aggressive regular presses the button, and everyone else folds. Your opponent plays approximately 25% of his beginning hands, and he performs well postflop. He sees you as both capable and aggressive.
The flop is J♥ T♦ 5♣. The pot is $17 and the remaining stacks total $193. You are the first to act. What’s your plan?
You probably have the best hand, so betting for value makes sense. Furthermore, if you’re raised, you’re willing to go all in against this opponent. He knows your preflop range extends beyond only premium hands, and he knows you frequently c-bet the flop. If he flipped top pair, he is probably confident in his hand. He could also call or raise with overcards, straight draws, underpairs, or air. Your strategy is to bet with the purpose of staying committed.
You place a $15 wager, and your opponent calls.
The turn number is 8♥. This includes flush and straight draws, as well as the possibility of having completed a straight. Despite this, you remain dedicated. You place a $45 stake, and your opponent calls.
The river, the 9♥, completes a possible flush and adds a one-card straight to the board. Should this terrible river card impact your commitment strategy?
Yes, it should. Even if you only have around a pot-sized stake remaining, your opponent is likely to fold any weaker hand, including a jack, to an all-in. Betting provides no benefit. And betting as a bluff makes no sense because your opponent will rarely fold a stronger hand. Checking to catch a bluff is a bad idea because your opponent’s range doesn’t include many hands that would call a turn bet and then bluff on the river. Every drawing made it. If you check and your opponent shoves, you’re most likely behind. Your strategy should be to check and fold any decent-sized stake.
You don’t fold the river because the board has become dangerous. Given your opponent’s likely range, you fold since it is the best play. A bad river card should not affect your commitment decision. When one falls, examine your opponent’s range and your equity in that range. occasionally you should continue to gamble for value, and occasionally you should checkfold.
Value Betting The River
Stacks cost $200. You open for $7 on the button with A♥4♥. The small blind folds, and the large blind calls. He is a loose-passive player who plays approximately 35% of his hands.
The flop is Q ♦6 ♦5 ♠. The large blind checks, and you place a c-bet of $9 on the $15 pot. He calls.
The turn is an 8♠. Your opponent checks. While he may be weak, a turn bet is too frequent to be profitable. You check behind.
The river is 7♠.Your opponent checks. Even if there is a flush out and you just have the bottom of the straight, this is an obvious value bet. Your opponent might have called your flop bet with a queen. He might have been preparing a turn checkraise with a set. He could have a busted straight draw that backed into one or two pairs. He is loose, and he can have many worse hands, all of which he will call a value bet on. Checking behind here leaves money on the table.
Because the pot is still relatively tiny at $48, you can bet roughly $40 and anticipate to be called by several weaker hands.
When you have position, your opponent’s actions on the turn and river will typically indicate whether you should value bet.
Suppose you open for $7 on the button with A♥ 4♥ in the same game as above. Only the huge blind calls, but this time he’s a strong 21/18 regular. He sees you as both solid and difficult.
The flop shows 7♥ 3♥ 3♦. The large blind checks, and you c-bet $11 on the $15 pot. He calls.
The turn is 2♠. Your opponent checks. This time, you believe a turn bet is profitable since he will fold numerous hands and is unlikely to beat you out. Also, if he checkraises, don’t be too concerned because it usually indicates he has a strong hand. Your draw isn’t as valuable with the pair on board. You put $40, a small overbet, into the $37 pot. He calls.
The river card is A♠, and your opponent checks again. You missed your flush, but you did pair the ace, albeit with a mediocre kicker. Many players look behind here. However, this is a profitable value bet.
Your opponent is more likely to call with a weaker hand than your aces rather than a strong hand. His checkcall on the turn frequently suggests an effort to make a stand with a seven or medium pair. The ace on the river is a scary card, but your opponent knows you know it, so he may take another stand.
The pot is $117, and you each have $142 remaining. This is an excellent position to offset your overbet river bluffs by occasionally overbetting as a thin value bet. Put it in. Keep him guessing.
River Value Bet On A Double-Paired Board
Effective stacks cost $200. Everyone folds to the button, who makes it $8 for J♥ 9♥. Only massive blind calls.
The flop is A♥ Q♦J♣. The huge blind checks, and the button puts $12 into the $17 pot. The blind call.
The turn is Q♣. There are two types of checks: huge blind and button checks.
The river is named the J♦. The large blind checks again, and the button bets $24 on the $41 pot. Is this a good play?
When the big blind calls the flop continuation bet, he is unlikely to have low cards. He probably caught some of the flop. The board worsens for the button on the turn when the queen pairs, so he looks behind.
On the river, the button picks up another jack, and the large blind checks again. This is an ideal scenario for a value bet. If the large blind had a queen, he wouldn’t normally checkcall the turn before checking the river. The big blind is considerably more likely to have an ace than a queen, and many players would call a modest bet on the river with any ace. So the button has a strong value bet of half the pot or somewhat more. Checking is a huge error.
Minraising The River
This time-effective stack costs $400. The huge blind is a very loose and passive player with stats of 65/4.
You open from the cutoff for $7, using 6♣ 6♦. The huge blind calls.
The flop shows A♥ 9♣ 6♠, resulting in bottom set. The large blind checks, and you bet $11 on the $15 pot. He calls.
The turn is the 2♣. Your opponent checks, so you bet $35 into the $37 pot. He calls.
The river card is J♣, indicating a probable flush. The pot is $107, and you have $347 remaining. Your opponent leads out for $35. What should you do?
This is an excellent location for a minor boost. While your opponent may have a backdoor flush, he is more likely to hold an ace or two pair. His little river bet appears shaky.
The advantage of minraising here is that your opponent is likely to reraise only with the flush and call with the majority of the hands in his range. Furthermore, there is enough money left behind to prevent a minraise from forcing you to go all-in. This makes a minor raise far preferable to a call.
Minraising the river is a great play when:
- You believe your opponent will call a minraise but fold to a larger raise.
- You do not believe your opponent will bluff reraise.
- The stack sizes are such that a minraise fails to commit.
River Overbet For Value
Stacks cost $200. Everyone folds to you at the button. The blinds are both regular. They each play roughly 20% of their hands and 3-bet around 5% of the time. Neither is overly pushy nor tricky.
You should steal their blinds on a regular basis and for the lowest possible price. You open at $5 with Q ♥8♥. The small blind calls, while the large blind folds.
The flop shows A♥ T♣ 4♥, resulting in the second nut flush draw.
The small blind checks, and you bet $9 on the $12 pot. He calls.
The 9♥ completes your flush. Your opponent checks, and you put $30 into the $30 pot. He calls.
The river card is a J♠, and the tiny blind checks. He has $156 remaining, and the pot is $90. What amount should you bet?
Many players place a conventional two-thirds pot value stake. However, an all-in overbet is usually preferable.
Your opponent checked twice, including on the turn when a flush was complete. He probably has a reasonably strong hand. Also, the river was an excellent card for you because it could have helped his hand. Your opponent’s range consists of hands like AxJ♥, K♥Qx, AT, A9, A4, TT, and 44. He may have planned a checkraise someplace and then decided against it, or he may have planned to checkcall the entire time. It does not matter. Push it in and let him decide what to do.
To make a $75 stake as profitable as a $156 all-in, your opponent must call $75 approximately twice as frequently as he would $156.* Needless to say, this will rarely happen.
Remember to use a shove as a bluff in river situations like this. That manner, your opponent will either fold winning hands or check you out more frequently than he would want.
