Playing the River

The last round of betting is pretty different from the other ones. This is because no more cards will be dealt, so there are no more draws or possibilities to improve the hand for both you and your opponents. All the players have completed their hands, and there are two key factors to be considered when analyzing the strength of your hand: your hand and the board.

It is important to know that a certain hand can be the nuts in some situations, while in other situations can easily be beaten. For example, straights and flushes are nuts when there is no pair on the board. However, if the board has one pair there is a small chance someone could hold a full house. This is very unlikely, but with two pairs on the board your flush is no longer strong (e.g. 1). Same goes for three of a kind when OESDs are on the board (e.g. 2), and many other situations can occur. Evaluating your hand in the right way is very important when playing on the river.

There is also a big mistake that beginners do on the river when they are holding a missed draw or a not very strong hand. They are tempted to call to see what their opponent has. This is a total waste of chips that should be avoided. Better fold to a bluff than call against nuts.

Author: Abscident

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