Bluffs (3) - Turn
Introduction
In this article
- Which bluffing options do you have on the turn
- When you can put pressure on your opponents
- Which factors you should keep in mind
You have already learned about most bluffing options preflop as well as on the flop. This article now focuses on your options to bluff on the turn, certainly one of the most difficult streets to play in No Limit Hold'em.
All opponents have already contributed their share to the pot and each player would like to have a monopoly on the pot. However, there are two more betting rounds and one more card to come, which could make the pot tremendously big and affect the strength of your hand.
Bluffing options on the turn
We will introduce seven possibilities to either win the pot by bluffing on the turn or to prepare a river bluff on the turn. These options comprise the following:
- the 2nd barrel
- float (position bet when opponent checks)
- bluff donk bet (float out of position)
- bluff check/raise
- bluff raise
- bluff call (call to prepare a river float)
- bluff check (possible float preparation out of position)
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
Hero ($100)
SB ($100)
BB ($100)
Preflop: Hero is Button with A
, 2
3 folds, Hero raises to $4.00, 1 fold, BB calls $4.00
Flop: ($8.50) K
, 9, 3
(2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $5.75, ...
Turn: ($20.00) 4(2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $12.00, ...
Firing a 2nd barrel means making another bet on the turn when you are the preflop aggressor and already made a continuation bet on the flop. This would be the primary example, but a second barrel can of course also be made with a strong hand (no bluff) or refer to betting after a donk bet. These scenarios will not be illustrated here.
The maths is quite simple again. If you have the option of setting the bet size, you can determine the odds for your opponent.
One last time: the required fold equity determined by your bet size:
Pot: $20 ; Bet: $10 (1/2 PS) ; => required fold equity = (bet size/pot size) = $10/$30 = 33.3%
Pot: $20 ; Bet: $13.33 (2/3 PS) ; => required fold equity = (bet size/pot size) = $13.33/$33.33 = 40.0%
Pot: $20 ; Bet: $20 ; => required fold equity = (bet size/pot size) = $20/$40 = 50.0%
What's most important, as always: For a 2/3 pot size bet you need a fold equity of 40%!
We have reached a stage at which it is very hard to make reasonable use of stats. This is because you should keep an eye on just about anything when considering a 2nd barrel. What kind of player are you facing, what could he have played preflop? Why did he not fold on the flop, will he fold a lot on the turn or maybe on the river?
Is the turn bet itself +EV or is it meant to prepare a 3rd barrel on the river?
We will therefore only have a look at a few relevant stats here:
Fold to Contibet Flop / Turn / River (including comparison):
You want to know how many hands your opponent can fold during the course of the upcoming streets.
If you find a distribution of 30/50/70 here, you can consider a 2nd barrel and have the option of firing another barrel on the river. If you run into a 60/30/10 player, then the flop call can already be considered strong and the probability that there is a hand that Villain would fold decreases.
Flop / Turn / River AF:
Your opponent might be floating and show aggression on the turn and on the river. If both of you bluffed, it is better if you force him out of the pot than vice versa.
Raise Turn / River:
Apart from floats, his raise stats are of interest as well. In the end it doesn't matter if he only bluff raises you or actually does hold a strong hand - if you don't have anything decent, the bluff is over.
Went to Showdown:
This stat is always important but should be seen in combination with the above stats.
The 2nd barrel is one of the most important bluffing instruments on the turn, simply because you will often enough find yourself in this spot. You are the preflop aggressor, didn't hit anything and your continuation bet gets called. Unfortunately, this happens more frequently than you would like for it to happen.
On the one hand you should be very cautious in such spots and blindly make one bet after the next. On the other hand it is just as important not to become too weak on the turn. One bet too much is better than a bet not made, there are many opponents who want to take advantage of being in position on the turn and plan to float. You have to make sure not to become their target.
If you are in position yourself, you always have the option of taking a free card. You have to evaluate whether this option could be the better alternative here.
It should be clear how you prepare: If you get another call, you can fire bullet no. 3 on the river.
Particularly against thinking players, the turn card is very significant. You are trying to tell a story and there are certain cards to support your story. Over cards are usually helpful for the aggressor, while low cards or a pairing board aren't necessarily of advantage.
If you are still playing against two opponents after an unsuccessful continuation bet on the turn, the hand is over. You will rarely create enough fold equity when two opponents show interest in the hand.
If there is only one opponent left however, you can fire a 2nd barrel since your bet is a sign of great strength. Of course, you always have to make this decision dependent on the board and the opponent.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
Hero ($100)
SB ($100)
BB ($100) (24 / 17 / 58 / 55 / 29) (VPIP ; PFR ; fold- to-Cbet Flop ; fold-to-Cbet Turn ; WTS)
Preflop: Hero is Button with X X
3 folds, Hero raises to $4.00, 1 fold, BB calls $4.00
Flop: ($8.50) J
, 7, 3 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $5.75, ...
Turn: ($20.00) A (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $12.00, ...
A good spot for a 2nd barrel. On the flop your opponent might have peeled in the manner of way ahead - way behind, but he will most likely not like the ace. On top of that, he folds at an average of 55% to another turn bet, which you should use to your benefit.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold’em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
BU ($100)
Hero ($100)
BB ($100) (20 / 5 / 38 / 30 / 38) (VPIP ; PFR ; fold- to-Cbet Flop ; fold-to-Cbet Turn ; WTS)
Preflop: Hero is SB with X X
4 folds, Hero raises to $4.00, BB calls $4.00
Flop: ($8.50) 5, 6, T (2 players)
Hero bets $5.75, BB calls $5.75
Turn: ($20.00) 4 (2 players)
Hero...
Bad spot for a 2nd barrel. The continuation bet on the flop was already daring, but there might have been reasons to justify the move (maybe you have an out or two). On the turn however, Villain will fold even less, the 4 has only helped you in very few situations. There are so many draws out there now that you could indeed make a light value bet, but should not bluff bet against a fold-to-cbet turn of 30% and this WTS. You should check/fold here.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
Hero ($100)
SB ($100)
BB ($100)
Preflop: Hero is Button with A , J
2 folds, CO raises to $4.00, Hero calls $4.00 2 folds
Flop: ($9.50) 5, 5, 9 (2 players)
CO bets $6.00, Hero calls $6.00
Turn: ($21.50) Q(2 players)
CO checks, Hero bets $13.00, ...
A float is a position bet on the turn with the intention of getting a stronger hand to fold (the goal of every bluff).
The calculation is only dependent on your bet size (see 2nd barrel).
Again, you have to take into consideration several stats here. You might have prepared this play on the flop already (contibet flop / turn / river) and analysed your opponent in this regard. It is vital to know what it means when your opponent checks. If the check/raise stat of your opponent is extremely high on the turn, you need to take this into account.
When we analysed the 2nd barrel, you probably realised that you have to protect yourself against floats. They are a good means to take the pot directly and to put pressure on your opponent by taking advantage of your position. You can balance your game with light value bets; if your opponents don't give you any credit for floats anymore, you can value bet weak hands very well.
You can therefore prepare another barrel on the river; however, you need to be cautious here. If your opponent plays check/call on the turn after his continuation bet, this indicates a hand that Villain would like to see at the showdown.
If you get a check/raise, the hand is over. A bluff push will not generate much more fold equity. You would need crystal clear reads for that, which show you that your opponent is actually bluffing or that he really does play a made hand check/raise/fold. As this would be bad play on his part, you should not assume that this is the case.
In contrast to the 2nd barrel, you don't have to wait for high cards here. Even if you don't tell your story very well, Villain does not have a choice in many cases. If the turn brings an 8 after a 345r flop, he will hardly expect you to have 88 in case you float here. But what should he do with a wide range that often does not hit anything? Hands such as 33/44/55/45/67 were already in your range preflop as well as on the flop.
If an ace appears for example, it would not even be particularly ideal. The fact that you called the flop with ace high is not a very credible story either. On top of that, chances are that Villain has hit, knows your aggression and switched to playing way ahead - way behind. This means he is planning to check/call the turn.
You can also make a float in multiway spots, particularly when you have position on all other opponents. The preflop aggressor almost always signals a fold if he checks the turn, and the remaining players might not want the pot to be big with weak made hands.
Although we can't generalise this, floats in multiway spots signal greater strength. You should always keep an eye on these spots.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100) (17 / 14 / 60 / 42 / 4) (VPIP ; PFR ; Cbet Flop ; Cbet Turn ; c/r Turn)
Hero ($100)
SB ($100)
BB ($100)
Preflop: Hero is Button with A , J
2 folds, CO raises to $4.00, Hero calls $4.00 2 folds
Flop: ($9.50) 5, 5, 9 (2 players)
CO bets $6.00, Hero calls $6.00
Turn: ($21.50) Q(2 players)
CO checks, Hero...
Just as in our initial example: A good spot.
Your opponent will check/fold quite frequently here, even though there is a decent probability that he has hit with Qx and will now play check/call. However, he will fold many smaller pocket pairs.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100) (17 / 14 / 60 / 42 / 4) (VPIP ; PFR ; Cbet Flop ; Cbet Turn ; c/r Turn)
Hero ($100)
SB ($100)
BB ($100)
Preflop: Hero is Button with A , J
2 folds, CO raises to $4.00, Hero calls $4.00 2 folds
Flop: ($9.50) 5, 6, 9 (2 players)
CO bets $6.00, Hero calls $6.00
Turn: ($21.50) 8(2 players)
CO checks, Hero...
This is a decent spot as well. Villain will rarely buy a 7x hand, but this is not your main concern. His check in this situation usually means that he will fold. There are just too many hands that could beat him. Hands such as 22-44 and AQ+ will fold in most situations, even hands that did hit, such as 54s or even 9x, might see themselves as too far behind.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
BU ($100)
SB ($100)
Hero ($100)
Preflop: Hero is BB with A , T
UTG raises to $4.00, 4 folds, Hero calls $4.00
Flop: ($8.50) 3, 4, 9 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $5.00, Hero calls $5.00
Turn: ($18.50) K(2 players)
Hero bets $12.00, ...
As you can see, you should avoid being in spots like these too often. Calling out of position preflop will often lead to complicated postflop spots, and it is therefore often inevitable to check/call the flop (especially if you have outs up your sleeve). The principle behind it is that of a float, which is why most ideas apply to both positions.
See 2nd barrel.
As you have to act out of position, you have much less information available. That's why a rough evaluation of stats will not be very helpful here. Again it is important to know as much as possible about the turn play of your opponent. How often does he 2nd barrel the turn, how many hands does he take to the showdown? Does he tend to make light call downs or does he not have any trouble folding medium strength hands?
A float out of position will confront your opponent with a problem. A marginal made hand can't raise/fold, it would have to go broke or make a call. This gives you the opportunity to barrel many good river cards. The board is crucial here.
Similar to when you float in position, cards that complete a draw or make it possible at least can be helpful. If a draw is already completed on the turn, you can try to represent it with two bets. If the draw only becomes possible on the turn and is completed on the river, you have good chances of selling Villain a good hand.
What you should keep in mind though is that you do not want to get any monster hands to fold - you only want marginal hands to fold that are better than yours. Your opponent can't call down a big number of hands as he will usually need at least a decent top pair to do so.
Due to the lack of information out of position, you should avoid such moves when you are up against several opponents. You should do quite the contrary: Ask yourself what hands you have played preflop and on the flop that got you into this situation without favourable position.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100) (18 / 15 / 65 / 59 / 26) (VPIP ; PFR ; Cbet Flop ; Cbet Turn ; WTS)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
BU ($100)
SB ($100)
Hero ($100)
Preflop: Hero is BB with A , T
UTG raises to $4.00, 4 folds, Hero calls $4.00
Flop: ($8.50) 3, 4, 9 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $5.00, Hero calls $5.00
Turn: ($18.50) K(2 players)
Hero....
It might pay off when playing against this opponent. His UTG range contains many pocket pairs that might see themselves behind when an overcard and a possible flush appear. Even against hands such as QQ/JJ you have fold equity, not necessarily on the turn, but on the river at the latest. This opponent will be able to fold hands.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100) (29 / 17 / 70 / 40 / 36) (VPIP ; PFR ; Cbet Flop ; Cbet Turn ; WTS)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
BU ($100)
SB ($100)
Hero ($100)
Preflop: Hero is BB with A , T
UTG raises to $4.00, 4 folds, Hero calls $4.00
Flop: ($8.50) 3, 4, 9 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $5.00, Hero calls $5.00
Turn: ($18.50) 6(2 players)
Hero...
This time the turn probably hasn't had a big impact. Also, you are up against an opponent who will not barrel the turn too often but instead give you a free card. His WTS is fairly high so that you should try and avoid bluffing. Your plan to hit something decent on the turn (straight draw, flush draw, top pair,…) has failed.
See floats.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
BU ($100)
SB ($100)
Hero ($100)
Preflop: Hero is BB with X ; X
UTG raises to $4.00, 4 folds, Hero calls $4.00
Flop: ($8.50) 2, T, J (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $5.00, Hero calls $5.00
Turn: ($18.50) 9(2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $12.00, Hero raises to $30.00, UTG...
Similar spot to that of the donk bet out of position. However, you choose a different line here. When you read our argument for the donk bet further above, you might have noticed that a check/raise on that turn (example 7) would have had an even better effect.
This might very well be true, but it brings about several problems:
- Villain will not always fire a 2nd barrel.
- When he does 2nd barrel, it will be with a rather strong hand (=> less fold equity).
- The bluff is a lot more expensive.
- On the other hand, it generates more fold equity.
Pot size: $18.50 + $12.00 = $30.50
"Pot size raise" = $18.50 + $12.00 (*3) = $54.50
Raise size: $30.00 => 30/60.50 = 49.7% required fold equity
Raise size: $54.50 (Pot size) => 54.50/85 = 64.1% required fold equity
Raise size: $24.00 (Min raise) => 24.00/54.40 = 44.1% required fold equity
As you can see, it is a more than expensive matter. Further below we will see that a pot size raise is simply too big. You should opt for smaller raises, they will do often enough.
If you think you can generate considerably more fold equity with a big raise, you might even want to consider a direct push.
Every piece of information is important. Ideal are opponents that don't think too much and that bet/fold many hands on the turn (although they wouldn't have to). A high Cbet Turn as well as a low WTS stat can be decisive factors here.
If Villain doesn't like to bet on the turn, it will usually be good hands if he does bet. A check/raise probably won't pay off too much here.
Should your opponent not fold, you will find yourself confronted with a task that is almost impossible to solve: Will a good card appear? Is there anything that Villain could still fold? Is he slowplaying or was he himself waiting for a possible draw to complete?
On the river you will most often have to decide between a (bluff) push or folding. This decision will be extremely expensive which is why it should already be considered on the turn.
On top of that, the maths shows you that this might not only be an expensive endeavor, but also one that could commit you to the pot. If you make a pot size raise, it will cost you half a stack. You will not only run into the problem of requiring considerably less than 25% equity in case of a push, but you should in general not invest too much in a bluff. To bluff for half a stack is rarely a pleasant thing to do.
The move will be balanced if you often check/raise for value or with strong draws (their good equity allows you to call a push). With a pure bluff however, you have to be extremely cautious and look after your big blinds.
If draws arrive, the board is the determining factor. You are trying to sell an extremely strong hand, mainly hands that contain at least two pair, possibly a set, straights or flushes (if possible).
In multiway pots this is totally inappropriate. Not only is the pot even bigger, you would also have to force several opponents out of the pot, who all signalled interest. This will often be unsuccessful.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100) (25 / 21 / 70 / 60 / 25) (VPIP ; PFR ; Cbet Flop ; Cbet Turn ; WTS)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
BU ($100)
SB ($100)
Hero ($100)
Preflop: Hero is BB with X ; X
UTG raises to $4.00, 4 folds, Hero calls $4.00
Flop: ($8.50) Q, Q, 9 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $5.00, Hero calls $5.00
Turn: ($18.50) J(2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $12.00, Hero raises to $25.00,...
This is a possible spot, but again there is no rule that tells you you have to. Every read is helpful, but you will generate much fold equity on this board and get many hands without a Q to fold. A small raise has to be sufficient here, you should not invest much more in this bluff.
It does pay off when you know the opponent fairly well and he either gives you credit (high fold equity) or when you see that you could bluff check/raise with air when he calls you down lightly. The bluff would not have been successful, but it will be easier for you to check/raise for value next time.
The last aspect refers to the favourable combination of a high cbet turn stat and a low WTS. The player will barrel a lot again and therefore have a wide range, many hands of which he will have to give up.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100) (18 / 15 / 62 / 42 / 30) (VPIP ; PFR ; Cbet Flop ; Cbet Turn ; WTS)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
BU ($100)
SB ($100)
Hero ($100)
Preflop: Hero is BB with X ; X
UTG raises to $4.00, 4 folds, Hero calls $4.00
Flop: ($8.50) Q, Q, 9 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $5.00, Hero calls $5.00
Turn: ($18.50) J(2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $12.00, Hero raises to $25.00,...
It would barely be profitable here. Everything that may favour a check/raise in the previous example doesn't apply here.
The opponent is generally not very aggressive, which is why you don't have to put too much effort in establishing an image. On top of that, he doesn't bet a lot on the turn, mostly strong hands, and he likes to see the showdown.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100)
Hero ($100)
SB ($100)
BB ($100)
Preflop: Hero is Button with X ; X
2 folds, CO raises to $4.00, Hero calls $4.00 2 folds
Flop: ($9.50) T, 9, 7 (2 players)
CO bets $6.00, Hero calls $6.00
Turn: ($21.50) J(2 players)
CO bets $13.00, Hero raises to $30.00, ...
It is the same way of playing as explained for the bluff check/raise, with the only difference being that you are in position.
See bluff check/raise.
In contrast to check/raises out of position, stats become helpful again here. This is due to the fact that you have a huge informational advantage when in position.
His cbet stats flop-river as well as his AF distribution is decisive here. How often does he bet, how aggressively does he play on the river and how often does he go to the showdown. His c/r turn stat might be interesting as well. If it is extremely high, his 2nd barrel will mean less. If he never check/raises, for example, his turn betting range includes all strong hands.
An bluff raise is very expensive as well, but you have other options here. In the next section you will be introduced to the bluff call. You have to figure out if you can gain so much insight from your opponent's 2nd barrel and river check that a river float will likely be successful in a sufficient number of cases. Therefore, you should consider both options since you will get to enjoy another informational advantage if he checks the river.
The situation is similar to the check/raise out of position. You're trying to sell "nuts or nothing" here, unless you are playing on draw heavy boards.
In multiway pots, you also need to be very careful because the bluff almost always commits you to the pot (it would probably be better to shove directly). Against several opponents without any outs (we are always talking about the pure bluff), this would be completely unnecessary and unsuccessful in too many cases,
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100) (23 / 19 / 70 / 55 / 27) (VPIP ; PFR ; Cbet Flop ; Cbet Turn ; WTS)
Hero ($100)
SB ($100)
BB ($100)
Preflop: Hero is Button with X ; X
2 folds, CO raises to $4.00, Hero calls $4.00 2 folds
Flop: ($9.50) 4, 5, 6 (2 players)
CO bets $6.00, Hero calls $6.00
Turn: ($21.50) J(2 players)
CO bets $13.00, Hero raises to $30.00, ...
Would you always raise a flush draw on the flop? A set? If your flush arrives, would you raise it on the turn? It always somewhat depends on your personal preferences in other spots, but your opponent will have to give you a fair amount of credit.
The only problem would be arguing for a flop call with a set, but there is no rule that you always have to raise a set on the flop. Particularly when knowing that your opponent likes to barrel a lot, but doesn't take many hands to the showdown.
PartyPoker $100 NL Hold'em (6 handed)
Stacks & Stats
UTG ($100)
MP ($100)
CO ($100) (29 / 8 / 50 / 35 / 34) (VPIP ; PFR ; Cbet Flop ; Cbet Turn ; WTS)
Hero ($100)
SB ($100)
BB ($100)
Preflop: Hero is Button with X ; X
2 folds, CO raises to $4.00, Hero calls $4.00, 2 folds
Flop: ($9.50) T, 9, 7 (2 players)
CO bets $6.00, Hero calls $6.00
Turn: ($21.50) J(2 players)
CO bets $13.00, Hero...
Again a possible spot to corner your opponent, but Villain shows signs of a calling station in this example. He doesn't bet with many hands, but likes to take many hands to the showdown. There are many hands here that you would like to force out of the pot (Jx/Tx/6x/over cards/ possibly even over pairs) while your opponent doesn't even consider folding them.
With such players, you don't have to balance your moves, That's why you should refrain from bluffing here. Theoretically you would have to ask which hand you actually called with on the flop and before the flop. However, this is not relevant to the actual question.
We won't give any examples or illustrate the maths here because you can imagine how a bluff call on the turn looks like.
It is important to remember that a bluff call is not only possible if a preflop aggressor barrels twice, as in the previous example. There are, in fact, many options for a bluff call.
- You are the preflop aggressor and checked behind on the flop.
- The preflop aggressor checked the flop, you checked behind.
- In a multiway pot another player tries to directly take the pot after checking the flop.
In the last article (river bluffs) we will talk about generally suitable spots, as you will have to pay more attention to the river when making a bluff call.
However, such plays are extremely important because they considerably widen your options. If you have an opponent who usually has problems both on the turn and the river and is rather passive and insecure there, why should you go for a big action preflop or on the flop?
Of course you could just bet any 2 on the flop if Villain checks. But why not play the flop passively, get a (possibly weak) bet on the turn and wait until the river before you start the action? Someone who checks on the flop in order to play for pot control does not want to see you turn very aggressive on the river after your call on the turn.
If your opponent has a small top pair, plans to check/call on the flop (to induce a bluff - in the manner of way ahead - way behind) and plays for pot control, he certainly does not want to be raised on the river. Particularly opponents such as those described above tend to give up a lot since the line "call turn / raise river" is always strong. Take advantage of it, generate much fold equity and win two bets from him.
As mentioned, we will find examples for this in the next part.
A few words will suffice here as a bluff check is directly related to river play. Just like with a bluff call, you will never get to take down the pot directly on the turn - but this is not your objective anyway.
You should not necessarily plan to make big donk bets on the river by playing check/call on the turn. This is possible after a bluff check, however there is more than one objective.
Maybe you gain a lot of information from a check behind by your opponent. Instead of 2nd barrelling on the turn (with initiative) and instead of donk betting (without initiative), you can check with air intending to take the pot on the river if your opponent checks - maybe with a bet, maybe with a check/raise!?
All in all, you are still in the hand with the intention of winning the pot unimproved. However, you would like to do so on the river.
This is much easier to do when you are in position. Remember the old saying: "Check behind turn / bet river is rarely a bluff".
If that's how it is, you should use it to your advantage. Float on the river instead of on the turn if this means more fold equity for you. Should you check on the turn, no matter if you are in or out of position, it should never make your hand readable.
If your opponent is the preflop aggressor who made a bet on the flop and now checks the turn just to see you check behind, he will primarily think of the following three (to four*) options:
- You gave up a possible float and the hand is over.
- You have a draw (if draws are possible*) and want to enjoy the free card.
- You have a marginal hand that plays for pot control.
- You have the nuts and are slow playing (unless draws are possible*).
Many players don't see that none of the above options apply to you, but that you are just waiting to steal the pot on the river. Depending on the river card (and the development of the board) you will therefore have a high amount of fold equity, especially if you raise your opponent's last cautious value bet on the river.
Conclusion
You should now have an idea of which bluffing options you have on the turn. There are too many borderline cases to sum them all up in one article. However, there is a lot of material that focuses on specific subtopics more thoroughly.
You should realise that you can put a lot of pressure on your opponents on the turn and still have the river left to play against a weaker opponent. The better you play compared to your opponent, the better it is to have another street left to play on which you can show aggression - many opponents will wish that they had already arrived at the showdown.
| LINKS | |||||
|
|||||
