Betting the river.
Betting the river.
These are all hands from a $10/$20 shorthanded game I’ve been playing for the last couple of days. Shorthanded poker is interesting, because since you have to (sometimes) call people down with some very marginal hands, you also have to make sure that you get the most out of your winning hands, to compensate for that. The ‘betting the river’ thought-process of ‘what hands could he call me with that I could beat’ gets a little hazy, at times. Which of these hands would you bet the river on, and if you feel like elaborating, why?
#1.
SB with Th Td. Folded to you and you raise, BB calls.
Flop: 5d Ks 4s. You bet, BB calls.
Turn: Jc. You check, he checks.
River: 2d.
#2.
BB with 6h 2s. Button calls, SB completes, you check.
Flop: 3h 8c 2h. SB checks, you bet, button calls, SB folds.
Turn: 8s. You bet, button calls.
River: 8d.
#3.
UTG with 7c 7s. You raise, only MP and BB call.
Flop: 5h 3s Qc. BB checks, you bet, MP calls, BB folds.
Turn: 8d. You check, he checks.
River: 2s.
#4.
UTG with Jh Tc. You call, MP calls, SB folds, BB checks.
Flop: 7d 7h 2d. Checked around.
Turn: Jd. BB bets, you call, MP folds.
River: 5d. BB checks.
#5.
BB with 5c 8d. MP calls, button calls, SB folds, you check.
Flop: 5h 8c Ac. You check, MP checks, button bets, you raise, MP folds, button calls.
Turn: 6s. You bet, button raises, you call.
River: 2h.
#6.
MP with Kd Kh. Folded to you, you raise, button calls, SB re-raises, BB calls, you cap, and all 3 opponents call.
Flop: Td Jd 7s. SB bets, BB calls, you raise, button calls, SB re-raises, BB calls, you call, button calls.
Turn: 5d. SB checks, BB bets, you call, button calls, SB calls.
River: 2d. SB checks, BB checks.
#7.
SB with As Qd. MP and button call, you call, and BB checks.
Flop: 9d 9c 3d. You and BB check, MP bets, button folds, you raise, BB folds, MP calls.
Turn: 7s. You bet, MP calls.
River: 9s.
#8.
SB with Qh Jd. Folded to MP who raises, button calls, you call, BB calls.
Flop: 5h 2c Qd. You and BB check, MP bets, and only you call.
Turn: Kc. Check, check.
River: 2d.
#9.
MP with As Jc. UTG calls, you raise, button re-raises, and only you and UTG call.
Flop: 9h 6s Ac. UTG and you check, button bets, both of you call.
Turn: Th. Checked around.
River: Qc. UTG checks.
Regards,
all_aces
These are all hands from a $10/$20 shorthanded game I’ve been playing for the last couple of days. Shorthanded poker is interesting, because since you have to (sometimes) call people down with some very marginal hands, you also have to make sure that you get the most out of your winning hands, to compensate for that. The ‘betting the river’ thought-process of ‘what hands could he call me with that I could beat’ gets a little hazy, at times. Which of these hands would you bet the river on, and if you feel like elaborating, why?
#1.
SB with Th Td. Folded to you and you raise, BB calls.
Flop: 5d Ks 4s. You bet, BB calls.
Turn: Jc. You check, he checks.
River: 2d.
#2.
BB with 6h 2s. Button calls, SB completes, you check.
Flop: 3h 8c 2h. SB checks, you bet, button calls, SB folds.
Turn: 8s. You bet, button calls.
River: 8d.
#3.
UTG with 7c 7s. You raise, only MP and BB call.
Flop: 5h 3s Qc. BB checks, you bet, MP calls, BB folds.
Turn: 8d. You check, he checks.
River: 2s.
#4.
UTG with Jh Tc. You call, MP calls, SB folds, BB checks.
Flop: 7d 7h 2d. Checked around.
Turn: Jd. BB bets, you call, MP folds.
River: 5d. BB checks.
#5.
BB with 5c 8d. MP calls, button calls, SB folds, you check.
Flop: 5h 8c Ac. You check, MP checks, button bets, you raise, MP folds, button calls.
Turn: 6s. You bet, button raises, you call.
River: 2h.
#6.
MP with Kd Kh. Folded to you, you raise, button calls, SB re-raises, BB calls, you cap, and all 3 opponents call.
Flop: Td Jd 7s. SB bets, BB calls, you raise, button calls, SB re-raises, BB calls, you call, button calls.
Turn: 5d. SB checks, BB bets, you call, button calls, SB calls.
River: 2d. SB checks, BB checks.
#7.
SB with As Qd. MP and button call, you call, and BB checks.
Flop: 9d 9c 3d. You and BB check, MP bets, button folds, you raise, BB folds, MP calls.
Turn: 7s. You bet, MP calls.
River: 9s.
#8.
SB with Qh Jd. Folded to MP who raises, button calls, you call, BB calls.
Flop: 5h 2c Qd. You and BB check, MP bets, and only you call.
Turn: Kc. Check, check.
River: 2d.
#9.
MP with As Jc. UTG calls, you raise, button re-raises, and only you and UTG call.
Flop: 9h 6s Ac. UTG and you check, button bets, both of you call.
Turn: Th. Checked around.
River: Qc. UTG checks.
Regards,
all_aces
Comments
I would bet here. Seems like he was protecting his blind and possibly waited for a flush draw to come around.
I'm not sure I would bet on the flop or on the turn here. Could be that the button is on another flush draw and missed, but could also have a lot of hands that beat you. Check.
I would bet out here. With his check on the turn I would think I was ahead here.
Check. Could be a trap and I would probably check here. You don't want to be re-raised if he hit trips, and he probably won't call here if you bet anyhow if he's on a bluff.
Check/call here. I'd be worried about Ax making him two pair as well. Hopefully he's hit his A and nothing else.
Bet. Had someone made their A high flush here with 2 other people still in the pot, they would probably bet it out on the river.
Again, could be on a flush draw, but I would probably check here.
This is interesting. I would probably bet here. The check in late position on the turn is suspect.
Check and fold. You could be losing to some hands here (AK, AT, AQ)..
The button still has to act behind me, and he's been 'just calling' the whole way. Should I be worried enough about him to check?
Regards,
all_aces
Good point, I think I read it that as it was checked to you. oops.
Still, I would bet on the river here because I think your hand can stand a raise if it were to happen.
Bet. Him paying you off with merely a 4 or 5 is a good possibility.
Bet. Your opponent may call you with Ace-high, or possibly worse given the strange looking board.
Bet. Again, your opponent might have flopped a non-Queen pair or will call you down with Ace-high. Many opponents feel obligated to call the river with weak hands after showing weakness on the turn.
Check. It's hard to imagine your opponent calling and your hand being good here. My feeling is that the BB was simply on a pure bluff on the turn.
Check with the intention of calling. Your opponent shows a *lot* of strength when raises you on the turn after you had check-raised the flop. Your hand is too good to fold I think.
Bet. I don't see a reason for either opponent to not simply bet out with the Ad. The pot is huge, and they can't expect to be able to check-raise on such a scary river card. The pot being huge also means your river bet has an excellent chance of being called by *far* worse hands than yours.
If the button does have Ad, you're losing one more bet, but it's worth taking a shot at winning 3 more bets yourself if he does not.
Check with the intention of ???. Surely you can't bet here, and it's a close decision between folding and calling if your opponent bets. I'd lean towards folding, but not if my opponent was even slightly more aggressive than usual with his river (or general) bluffing. What hand is your opponent standing all that pre-river heat with?
Check with the intention of calling. Seems your opponent has a busted Ace-high.
A bizzare slowplay. Bet. You're really only taking it in the teeth if the button has Queens.
ScottyZ
I bet, he raised, I called, he had ace high. Ad 9h
Check, check. He had Kh 9d... couldn't call a river bet.
I bet, he called. He had Ah 9h... high card ace.
Check, check. He had Js 5c... a lower kicker, and my ten played.
Check, check. He had As 3h for a pair of aces.
I bet, only BB called and showed 6d 8d for a turned lower flush.
Check, check. He had pocket deuces, and I'm 99% sure he would've called a river bet from me.
I bet, he called and showed pocket eights.
I bet, button called and showed pocket jacks.
Total amount to be won on the river: $160
Total amount I won: $120 or 75% (missed #4 and #5)
I think I'm going to spend some more time looking specifically at my river play, in order to figure out how to get that 75% number a little higher. (Don't worry, I won't post everything here... I realize it's not thrilling reading.
Also, Scotty, your point about the KK hand being called by far worse hands because of the size of the pot is a good one. It's worth betting the river in big pots if you're fairly sure that you have the best hand, because all the calls you'll (usually) get when you're ahead will more than make up for the bets you'll lose when you're behind.
Regards,
all_aces
SB with Th Td. Folded to you and you raise, BB calls.
Flop: 5d Ks 4s. You bet, BB calls.
Turn: Jc. You check, he checks.
River: 2d.
Bet
#2.
BB with 6h 2s. Button calls, SB completes, you check.
Flop: 3h 8c 2h. SB checks, you bet, button calls, SB folds.
Turn: 8s. You bet, button calls.
River: 8d.
bet
#3.
UTG with 7c 7s. You raise, only MP and BB call.
Flop: 5h 3s Qc. BB checks, you bet, MP calls, BB folds.
Turn: 8d. You check, he checks.
River: 2s.
bet
#4.
UTG with Jh Tc. You call, MP calls, SB folds, BB checks.
Flop: 7d 7h 2d. Checked around.
Turn: Jd. BB bets, you call, MP folds.
River: 5d. BB checks.
Check
#5.
BB with 5c 8d. MP calls, button calls, SB folds, you check.
Flop: 5h 8c Ac. You check, MP checks, button bets, you raise, MP folds, button calls.
Turn: 6s. You bet, button raises, you call.
River: 2h.
Checkcall, lots of hands beat you, lots of str8 possibilities.
#6.
MP with Kd Kh. Folded to you, you raise, button calls, SB re-raises, BB calls, you cap, and all 3 opponents call.
Flop: Td Jd 7s. SB bets, BB calls, you raise, button calls, SB re-raises, BB calls, you call, button calls.
Turn: 5d. SB checks, BB bets, you call, button calls, SB calls.
River: 2d. SB checks, BB checks.
Bet,
#7.
SB with As Qd. MP and button call, you call, and BB checks.
Flop: 9d 9c 3d. You and BB check, MP bets, button folds, you raise, BB folds, MP calls.
Turn: 7s. You bet, MP calls.
River: 9s.
bet
#8.
SB with Qh Jd. Folded to MP who raises, button calls, you call, BB calls.
Flop: 5h 2c Qd. You and BB check, MP bets, and only you call.
Turn: Kc. Check, check.
River: 2d.
Bet
#9.
MP with As Jc. UTG calls, you raise, button re-raises, and only you and UTG call.
Flop: 9h 6s Ac. UTG and you check, button bets, both of you call.
Turn: Th. Checked around.
River: Qc. UTG checks.
Bet
Good post Aces, Thanks. I don't have a lot of experience shorthanded and its really interesting to see the difference in thinking involved. Really interested in seeing your answers and other's responses. (haven't looked)