On the Turn and River

Last week I gave you all some tips for betting and raising on the flop, This week I will finish the hand by looking at some tactics for the turn and the river cards. Betting on the Turn

The turn card is the first big opportunity to bet more, raise when the bets have doubled and make the draws pay to beat you. If you have decided to see the turn card, you must be quite sure of what you need to win and what the odds of making it are.

If you have top pair or make two pair on the turn you should usually bet and raise to protect your hand and make the draws pay.

You should also consider raising on the turn if you have a medium strength hand with a chance of improving on the river. Since you were going to put two big bets in the pot anyway, you can put it all in on the turn, giving the impression that you have a great hand and possibly win the pot right there.

Betting on the River

There are two main reasons to bet on the river, when all the cards are out and you are the first to bet. The first is to induce a weaker hand to put more money into a pot that you think you are going to win. The other is to get a better hand to fold when you have the second best hand.

Another time to bet on the river is when you missed your straight or flush draw and you feel that your opponent did also, but holds two big cards. If you feel that your AJ will lose to his AQ you should consider betting. Your opponent will be hard pressed to call with only an Ace-high and you could steal the pot.

Also, if you make the nuts on the river and you have to call a bet in early position, you might make more money if you call rather than raise. Better to have five players call behind you than to raise and only get one or two.

OK class, that's a wrap for this week’s lesson. For Lesson 11, be sure to come back next week and remember that improving your poker skills is a constant task, it is always a good idea to keep notes of your playing sessions so that you can track and analyze your game.