The River Bet
January 28th, 2010Some poker online players swear that unless they hold the nuts, they never bet on the river because if you are called, then you are probably beat. If you hand is the second best possible, it’s still vulnerable to defeat. If you know that your casino cards can only beat a bluff, then don’t bet them on the river. For instance, you were on a straight draw, and made the semi-bluff bet after the turn. But your straight does not materialize and you opponent who has stayed in with you comes out firing at the river card. You have nothing and know you can only beat a worse nothing. The temptation is to play “sheriff” and keep your opponent honest by making them show their cards. Most often, those poker cards do constitute a made hand and your chips are shipped across the table. A big bet on the river can mean anything. It might be a bluff, but the bettor may also be trying to tempt a call with a bet that looks like bluff but is not. You must rely on what you have observed about the player to get some idea about how your opponent operates. When a player who has not been raising and appears to be on a draw that did not materialize, suddenly bets big on the river, there is the possibility it is a bluff to steal the pot. You must consider the river bet in the context of how the player has acted throughout the hand to try to get a read on your opponent.