Four Tips for Playing the River

I think the average $1-$2 and $2-$5 live no-limit hold’em player plays worse on the river than on any other street. This is partly because the bets on the river are large, so mistakes are magnified. But it’s also because most players approach river play with a philosophy that is fundamentally flawed.
Most players are far too passive on the river. They check good hands that they should bet for value, and they check busted draws that they should bluff. This general passivity causes problems in other areas of their river game. When they do bet, there often are only a few things they could have, and therefore, the bet becomes simple to respond to. And because they don’t bet often enough, they leave opportunities for more perceptive opponents to win with weak hands at showdown and to steal more than their share of pots.
Here are four tips for playing the river that will make you a tougher opponent and a more profitable player:
Tip 1: Don’t pay off players who bet all three streets.
Most players are too passive on the river. Betting all three streets with a weak hand is a very aggressive line. Many players, therefore, almost never bet all three streets without a near lock.
If someone bets all three streets in a live small-stakes game, in my experience, the most common hand he will have is a set, a flush or straight draw that improved on the turn, or two pair that improved to a full house. Players often check the turn if their draw doesn’t improve, and often check the river if their two pair doesn’t improve.
Commonly, I’ll see one player bet the flop and turn, and another player with top pair will call. On the river, the first player will bet again. In most cases, the player with top pair should fold. Many players do indeed fold, but I also frequently see the player with top pair pay off. At showdown, the bettor will almost always show one of the hands I listed, and the caller will nod I knew it, and muck.
Don’t pay off players who bet all three streets.
Tip 2: Be suspicious of river bets in checked pots.
River bets tend to be strong. This is particularly true when flop and turn bets have come before the river bet. It’s also true when someone has called flop and turn bets, and bets the river.
But river bets are much weaker in checked pots. The classic example is when a pot is checked through on both the flop and the turn. This is a scenario that brings out the bluffer in many players.
For instance, let’s say that three players see a flop of K♣ 9♠ 2♠. Everyone checks. The turn is the 3♥. Everyone checks. The river is the 7♦. The second player bets.
This bet is suspicious. The flop check-through suggests that no one has a king. The turn check-through confirms it, and also suggests that no one has a 9, either. So, with what could the player be betting the river — a 7? A savvy player might bet a hand like A-7, but most small-stakes players would check that hand. A 9? A lot of players would bet a 9 on the turn, and the players who wouldn’t bet it on the turn also probably wouldn’t bet it on the river. The hands that improved with the river card — 7-7, 7-3, and 7-2 — aren’t particularly likely. There are so few legitimate hands for a river bet that I’d be tempted to call with a hand like 5-5.
Tip 3: Bet one-pair hands for value in checked pots.
In the previous tip, I said that a savvy player might bet A-7, but most players wouldn’t. Most players wouldn’t bet a 9, either. Both are good bets, though, because the chance of getting called by a worse hand (for example, 5-5, A-Q, and so on) is better than the chance of running into a sandbagged king or a fluke hand like 7-7.
Players usually bet the turn when holding two pair or better. If the turn gets checked through, it means you can expect that no one has better than one pair (although you’ll get surprised sometimes). As long as the river card isn’t too threatening, you can bet top pair for value.
If both the flop and turn get checked through, as they did in the Tip 2 example, you can often bet second or even third pair for value.
Be aggressive with your river value-betting. If no one else is showing strength, play your decent pairs as being the best hand, and bet. You’ll be surprised by what people will call with.
Tip 4: Choose your bet sizes carefully.
Bet-sizing is always an important topic in no-limit hold’em, but it’s particularly important on the river. Don’t always bet the same amount. Different situations call for different bet sizes. I’ll give you a few examples.
The board is J-10-8-3-Q, and you have A-K. Make a huge bet, likely all in. Anyone with a 9 is going to think very seriously about calling, no matter how much you bet, and anyone without a straight is not likely to call even a normal-sized bet. Squeeze weaker straights for as much as you can.
The board is K-9-2-3-7, and you have 8-8. This is again the example from Tip 2. I’d bet, but I wouldn’t bet a lot. In a $2-$5 game, I might bet $30 into a $60 pot. You’re counting on 4-4 to call. Don’t slam the door. Make it enticing.
The board is 10♣ 8♦ 2♣ Q♦ 4♣, and you have the A♣ 5♣. Your opponent is a passive player who tends to make small bets. He bet the flop and turn, each for about half of the pot, a very strong move for him. You suspect that he might have flopped a set. You are out of position, and are fairly certain that he’ll check behind if you check.
I’d bet about two-thirds pot to pot here. No matter how large or how small you size it, betting out of turn here says, “I made the flush.” But he’ll have doubts and be tempted to call with a set. If you make your bet too large, he’ll reluctantly fold. If you make it too small, though, since he’s timid, he still might fold, and when you get paid, you won’t make much. If you’re making a bet that gives away your hand (but still might get a suspicious call), a pot-sized bet is often a good choice.
There’s no cut-and-dried formula for sizing your river bets, but the more thought you put into your bet sizes, the better your results will be. ♠

Ed’s latest book, Small Stakes No-Limit Hold’em, is available for purchase at smallstakesnolimit-holdem.com. Find him on Facebook at facebook.com/edmillerauthor, and you also can check out his online poker advice column, notedpokerauthority.com