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River Play – The game in the final betting round

In Texas Hold'em Poker, there are a maximum of four betting rounds or "streets" before the showdown: Preflop, Flop, Turn, and River. Each street has its own unique dynamics and challenges. However, it is the game at the river that poses the most cunning obstacles. This is where the most costly decision of the hand typically arises. The player has the potential to win a substantial amount of money on the river, but they also risk losing everything. poker-6.com delves into the intricacies of river play and provides insights on what to watch out for.

Probleme am River

The River is often underestimated by many players, showcasing its multitude of unique characteristics. Amongst all the streets, Preflop situations arise most frequently, while the final round of play occurs relatively rarely. It is during the River that decisions need to be made at a ratio of 1 to 25, making it a pivotal moment. However, a challenge arises due to the lack of experience in this particular phase of the game.

However, at the river, one encounters the most expensive decisions. The pot tends to be very large at the river, and one must invest many big blinds. Additionally, another factor comes into play: the hands are made, and there are no more cards to be dealt. At least two hands are facing off against each other. One of them is usually the better hand and would have the right to the pot. However, this hand is not necessarily obligated to win the pot.

If you have put your opponent on a draw, they might complete their flush or straight on the river, so caution is necessary. If your opponent misses, you usually find yourself in the lead. The decision of whether to give up on the river, bluff, or place a value bet is often made on the turn. As a result, one often lacks the necessary focus on the river.

Naturally, the odds change on the river. Clear outs, odds, and pot odds exist on the initial streets. It is possible to calculate mathematically with relative precision the probability of the next card resulting in the best hand. One can estimate whether a call with a draw on the flop will be promising in the long run. On the river, if the opponent bets, one also receives odds, but this time, mathematical calculations cannot be employed.

How do I play a river?

There are four different ways to play a river:

1. A person bluffs: They don't consider themselves ahead on the river and attempt to make the opponent fold a better hand. The objective is to convince the opponent to fold a stronger hand.
2. The man aims to reach the showdown at a low cost: While he may appear to have a strong hand, he doesn't necessarily believe it's the best and wants to avoid investing more than necessary.
3. Man feels victorious, whether the river has helped or if one already had a strong hand.
4. One surrenders: One clearly sees themselves behind and extends their hand. They do not believe that the opponent will fold a better hand. If one has not hit a draw and does not want to bluff, they do not need to invest any more money and can simply fold the hand.

Strength of hand during river play.

The strength of the hand being played is a determining factor in the decisions made during the river play. In this situation, there are three possible options once again. The choices that one makes during this phase depend on the current hand's overall power. It is crucial to assess the strength of the hand and consider the potential outcomes before making any final decisions.

A weak hand offers little to no showdown value. It occurs when a draw is not made, when overcards remain unimproved, or after calling with a middle pair on the flop, which has significantly weakened to become a fourth pair after additional overcards on the turn and river.

A Made Hand possesses some Showdown value, but it does not necessarily have to be the best hand. This could include Overpairs or Top Pair/Top Kicker. Equally possible are hands that may have been outdrawn, such as a Set when a Straight arrives or a strong Two Pair when a Flush arrives.

Having a powerful hand at the river often puts you in the position of wanting to be paid off. You hold the absolute best hand and there is little chance that your opponent has something better. It is crucial to extract maximum value from your strong hand and ensure that you are not leaving any potential winnings behind.

When dealt a weak hand, bluffing becomes a more viable option compared to, for instance, a made hand. It is essential not to raise unnecessarily with a made hand, as this may inflate the cost of the hand. Conversely, when holding a strong made hand, one should strive to seize every opportunity for a value bet, ensuring no potential gains are missed.

Valuebets am River

Most of the time, the river decisions are not clear, as often one has already 3-bet their very strong hands before the flop and is all-in by the turn, as the bets on the flop and turn combined already exceed the standard 100BB stacks. Therefore, one is frequently faced with more marginal situations on the river. However, on the micro limits, these bets are pure value, which is why one must learn to make thinner value bets on the river. For example, if the opponent plays each street c/c on a K-5-10-2-8 board, one should also make a bet on the river with A-K when the opponent checks.

In this scenario, opponents often tend to call with weaker kings, occasionally even with crazy hands like Q-10 or A-10, as inexperienced players simply enjoy calling and don't expect a better hand from their opponent, hence wanting to see the showdown. However, it is crucial to fold when facing a raise from the opponent. But only a few opponents are capable of executing a check-raise bluff on the river in this situation.

If the board is more coordinated, one can often make a blocking bet (1/3 - 1/2 pot) with a hand like top pair and fold against a raise. A blocking bet is a relatively small bet compared to the pot, which is made to limit the opponent's options. Even though this bet obviously shows weakness or uncertainty, most players don't want to turn their marginal hands into bluffs and raise them out of the pot. Instead, they are much more likely to call or fold. This even gives you the chance to win the pot in a close situation, but you can definitely keep it smaller and thus reach the showdown more affordably.

River Bluffs and Fancy Plays

Bluffs on the river are not advisable for beginners due to their lack of experience in these situations. Since it is always important to ensure that the "story" makes sense, spots where a bluff push on the river is viable are relatively rare and quite challenging to differentiate from unfavorable spots. Therefore, if you have played a flush draw on the flop and turn, but end up with just an Ace high on the river, it is usually the most prudent decision to fold. In most cases, surrendering on the river is simply the optimal choice.

Although fancy plays like bet flop, bet turn, or check-raise on the river always appear very spectacular, they are often inferior to the bet-bet-bet approach without significant history with the opponent. Especially at the micro limits, the player pool is so enormous that you rarely sit at the table with the same players more than once. This makes it difficult to develop any history. As a result, you should simply keep betting your strong hands and only ease off when facing a raise. In such a scenario, you must reevaluate your hand and decide how to proceed based on your opponent. If you do happen to sit at the table with the same players more frequently, it would be wise to take notes on their playing style and bluffing tendencies in your respective poker software. These notes can be of great use for future decisions.

In Position by the River

Being in a favorable position is always advantageous at the poker table. The same goes for the river. Essentially, there are two scenarios to consider: either the opponent checks or bets on the river. The player must now determine their hand's standing at the river. If they find themselves in a "way ahead/way behind" situation with a moderately strong made hand, they would prefer to reach the showdown at a low cost. However, if they see themselves with a significant lead, they would aim to extract value from their hand.

If the opponent checks and one has a hand sufficient for a showdown, checking behind should be the standard move. It is assumed that one might be ahead occasionally, but it is not expected that the opponent would call with a weaker hand. If one believes they are ahead, they must of course bet, as well as if they want to bluff.

If the opponent decides to bet, calling would be an option if one wishes to see the showdown. The question, however, is how cheaply one is allowed to see it. In the case of a bluff, raising is the only possibility. If the opponent raises, a shove might even be necessary, as it suggests a very strong hand and it takes many BB's to force them out of the hand. Clear reads are additionally important in this situation. Against unknown opponents, one should refrain from making such moves if it requires putting their entire stack at risk. With a very strong hand, raising is, of course, an option. But is the hand truly that strong? Are there enough weaker hands in the opponent's range that they would bet/call on the river? If yes, one can raise with a clear conscience. However, if there are doubts, it might be wise to only make a call in this situation as well.

Out of Position on the River

When you find yourself out of position on the river, you face a significant disadvantage. However, if you are aggressively playing strong hands from early positions and frequently facing calls, avoiding this position becomes impossible. Now, depending on how the hand has developed until the river, you are confronted with a challenging decision. Are bluffs a viable option? How can you extract maximum value from your strong hands?

The available options are: checking or betting. However, there is also a third option. In addition to a regular value bet, which is approximately 2/3 of the pot size (but can also vary on the river as it is not necessary to protect one's hand anymore), you can make a block bet. A block bet can be used to compensate for positional disadvantage and gain valuable information at a relatively low cost. Assuming the opponent is not bluffing and would raise again, if you are clearly ahead, for example, with a flush Ace high and confident that the opponent would fold against a large raise, you can also make a block bet. Many interpret this min bet as a sign of weakness and will raise or even shove in order to take down the pot. This is another variation of a value bet.

Summary

Here are the key points summarized regarding River Play. River Play occurs less frequently compared to the other betting rounds, making it more challenging for many players to master. However, understanding the game theoretically allows for the avoidance of multiple mistakes and thus, saving money. It is vital to carefully analyze the board at the river and consider what hand the opponent could have. Is your hand strong or weak? Your gameplay at the river depends on this consideration. The most significant mistake one can make is consistently underestimating the opponent's hand. Nevertheless, depending on your position, you should strive to maintain control over the bet sizes. Value bets, block bets, or even check behind can aid in achieving this goal.