Texas Holdem,
Betting Strategy
May 13 2008
Making your play on the river is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in a hand of Texas Holdem. How you play on the river will determine whether you will win or lose the hand, and how many chips you’ll end up with when you do win.
When it’s your turn to act after the river card has been dealt, it’s time to take into account all the information you’ve gathered through the hand so far. How strong is your hand? How has the betting gone throughout the hand? How much money have you already committed to the pot? How does your opponent like to play, and how good a read do you have on them?
If you think you’ve got the nuts after the river you’re in a great spot, but your decision-making isn’t done yet. You still have to decide what the best move is to get as many of your opponents’ chips into the pot as possible. If you’ve got nothing after the river because you missed your draw, you have to decide to either fold or attempt to steal the pot. This decision should be based on how the hand has gone so far, and what you think your opponent has. How strong their hand is should determine whether or not you believe a bluff would be successful.
Here’s a quick example. Say you have two pair that could be the best at the table at the river, but you’re not 100 percent sure. The first thing to do is closely examine the board. You hit your two pair on the river, but the river card also completed a possible flush draw on the board. If you think your opponent was drawing to the flush, going after the pot may not be a smart move. But if you think your opponent wasn’t on a flush draw, then by betting you could make them think you were after the flush and cause them to fold. Even if they do call your bet there’s a chance your two pair could hold up.
Before throwing in a bluff right away, think about what type of player your opponent is. If they’re loose, a bluff seems like a great idea, but if they’re a call-box you’ll want to be sure your two pair is good before pitching a bunch of chips into the pot.
Learn more about Texas Holdem in our
Step-By-Step Guide.
