Mountain of Chips

Poker Strategy: Betting on the river

Betting on the river is a unique round. Before this round, players had the opportunity to improve his hand. Once you reach the river, the bets here are just bluffs or value bets. You cannot knock a player out and you cannot semi-bluff. For this article we focus on how betting goes when you are on a heads up and when you are playing as the aggressor.

So what do you do if you have a top pair on a heads up and you form a scary hand on the river?

What you need to do will really depend on your position. In case you have a better position that your opponent like you are at the button and the other player is in mid-position. When your opponent checks and you are considering of making a value bet but you are worried of a check-raise. If the other player will always raise when you are beat and will call in case you get a better position then you will have a 2 of 3 chance of winning to make a bet. You have one chance of winning if you have a better hand and two chances of losing to bet if he has better cards.

The situation will be different if your opponent just calls and not raise even if he has a better hand. And there will be instances where you will be raised even when he has a better hand. These requires your judgment call since it differs in every situation.

If you have an early position and reach the river, you must be willing to bet since even if your opponent has a good hand, he will bet or will raise you. This way you will only lose one more bet by initiating the betting.

If your opponent has a semi strong cards, he will not raise you. Show some strength when you bet. He will hesitate to raise in fear of a re-raise. When you check, he will feel your weakness and grab the opportunity to make the bet. In this scenario your initial bet does not matter since you will be losing one bet whether you check or bet.

Poker Tips to Make You a Better Player & Improve Your Poker Game

1- Poker players who are just starting out tend to make a mistake by playing too many hands. One must remember that when you are a beginner, in order to stay in the game, you must stay in hands that are not all that good. Beginners should remember that to play more, they must lose more.

2- When people play drunk, they tend to play recklessly and loosely. It’s different when you are playing with your friends as it is not about the game but more about the fun, but if you’re playing in a casino and the stakes are high, it is recommended that you control you alcohol intake.

3- Majority of beginners know that bluffing is a technique that is a large part of poker but they do not know how to go about it in the exact manner. One must understand that it is not imperative in a game of poker that one HAS to bluff even a little or at all during the course of the game. However, many players do not feel as though the game is complete unless they have gone ahead with a bluff. Keeping this mind, it must be understood that one should not bluff at all instead of bluffing just for the sake of it.

4- Many beginners also make the mistake of thinking that just because they have put in a large amount in the pot, they have to continue and stay in. However, they must remember that they cannot win the game, that is, the pot just because they have put in money. One must fold when they know there is no other way out and keep in mind that “your” money in the pot doesn’t belong to you anymore and that it is impossible to get it back merely by playing a hand till the game ends.

5- Many beginners also make the mistake of examining the other player’s last bet and looking at the hand, all the while throwing in the final call. This makes sense only if the player actually has the hand and it helps you extract information which might help you with your game afterwards. However, if the player actually has the hand and there is no way you can win, there is absolutely no need for you to put in more money and increase his loot.

6- It is important to not play poker when one is feeling depressed or is going through a bad time because if one is not playing with a sharp mind, that is, if one is playing emotionally rather than rationally, it is natural that you will not be giving it your best. If during the game, you feel as though you’re going on a tilt, it is advised to take a break before continuing with the game.

7- Beginners should keep in mind that they should just stick to the rules and give full attention to their own hand. Once you have gotten a hold on the game, you should pay very close attention to the cards on the table.

Eli Elezra and Masaaki Kagawa play some horrible poker

Suckout 1. Suckout 2. Bad Call 1. Bad Call 2. Donkaments.

Seriously, if Eli Elezra and Masaaki Kagawa don’t both play this hand redonkulously bad I don’t know what we CAN call redonkulous.

Good valuebet on the river, I suppose. :s

Greg Raymer and John Murphy go at it – ’04 WSOP

Both John Murphy and Greg Raymer play poker here. This is what we want to see at the World Series – people BETTING their hands.

Mike Matusow likes it.

Omaha Poker, an extra special variant of Hold’em

Who said you need to go to Las Vegas to make some money playing poker? The internet is the new Las Vegas. You can sit at home in your trousers and make some quick bucks through an online casino. And the good news is that you are not limited to any one variant of poker when you can enjoy so many of them.

A new trend that can be noticed is Omaha hold-em gaining popularity and fast. Don’t be surprised when you find more and more respectable poker rooms and live dealers offer this version of poker. Experts feel that this version of poker could be a threat to the most played Texas version. Going in accordance with the professional players it is also said that the mathematical probabilities that pro player look for computing is more obvious and apparent than the Texas version. Thus it becomes a game that depends on your skill rather than your luck.

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Best Poker Strategy Video EVER

No offence, but this has to be the best ever poker strategy video. I’ve seen a lot of instructional videos, but this has to be the absolute best ever ever.

Watch it. Watch it as a whole. It’s a genius video.

Ivey vs. Jackson – BLUFFTARDS!

Both Phil Ivey a Paul Jackson have a mountain of chips in front of them, and that makes this hand as incredible as it is. Absolute poker beauty. Hat’s off to both Ivey & Jackson in this one!