poker school
lesson five: betting on the river
Now that you guys have some insight with regards to betting on the turn card, we are going to proceed forward with strategies dealing with the river card.
The river is a much different type of betting round than the flop or turn since all of the cards have now been shown. During the previous rounds of betting, each person betting had a chance to improve their hand, whereas the river does not provide the player any more opportunities. On the river, bets become pure value bets or bluffs. There is no reason to knock someone out, and it is impossible to semi-bluff. When you are the first to bet on the river there are two main reasons to bet; the first is to try and influence a player with a weaker hand to put more money into the pot that you believe you'll win. The other is to get a player with a better hand to fold when you have the second best hand. Another time to bet on the river is when you have missed your straight or flush draw and you feel your opponent did also. This is where you can consider betting to try and steal the pot.
On the river, there is no need for you to worry about being drawn out. Your main focus is to win as many bets as possible or to minimize your losses when you hold the losing hand. Remember, getting an extra bet by having someone call after you has just as much value as a call from someone you raised.
A common mistake made by many players is betting or raising the river whenever they think they have the best hand. Only bet or raise a good hand on the river when you are heads up and you have at least a 50% chance of winning when your opponent calls. The key part of this concept is that you win more than your fair share of hands when your opponent calls.
That's going to take care of lesson 5. Our next class will be looking at the importance of your seat position in Hold'em. We'll see you all at the next session.
good luck and enjoy your experiences at the poker tables
