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Introduction

In this article

• Your options on the turn
  
• How your turn play influences your decision on the river
  

You learned when it is a good idea to play aggressively, and when you might prefer to use a more passive approach in the article on turn play. We will explore this points in further detail with the help of a few examples in this article.

You will also see if you can follow through with the plan you created on the flop, and how your play on the turn can effect the situation going into the river round. Most of the examples should be familiar from the articles on flop play.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em 11$ Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)

Stacks & Reads
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000)
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
Hero (t2000)
MP3 (t2000)
CO (t2000) Fish
BU (t2000)
SB (t2000) tight player
BB (t2000)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with Q , Q
Hero raises to 120, 1 fold, CO calls 120, 1 fold, SB calls 100 1 fold

Flop: (400) 4, 4, J (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets 250, 1 fold, SB calls 250

Turn: (900) 5 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero...

PartyPoker $25 NL Hold'em (6-handed)

You were sure to have the best hand on the flop and bet for value. The tight SB stays in the hand, but this doesn't change the fact that you are still ahead most of the time; giving up your hand is out of question.

Bet/fold turn is obviously out of question. You have two options at your disposal:

• Bet/call

  You bet to extract value and are ready to go all-in after a check/raise from your opponent.

• Check-behind turn

  You check behind on the turn. You keep the pot small and might even induce a bluff.

Both options are possible here. Your opponent may be aggressive, but he is no calling station. What would he need to call again on the turn? If you think he is capable of calling down with Jx, then you should certainly bet.

Basically, the river play has already been determined on the turn. If you check behind in order to induce a bluff, then you have to at least call a bet on the river. Alternatively, you could consider a raise for value.

If you bet yourself, you will probably win the pot immediately most of the time (Villain folds), move all-in (Villain plays check/raise turn), or get a free showdown on the river (this Villain will rarely check/call twice and then donk the river).

In this example, you have the advantage of position on the turn, as well as the advantage of a dry board. You don't have to protect; you can comfortably consider if you would rather use pot control and tempt your opponent into bluffing, or if you want to go all the way with your hand. The prospects on the river are also nice. You can either decide if you simply want to see the showdown, or if you want to place another value bet.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em 11$ Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)

Stacks & Reads
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000) extreme loose preflop, and passive postflop
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
MP2 (t2000)
Hero (t2000)
CO (t2000)
BU (t2000)
SB (t2000)
BB (t2000)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A , Q
1 fold, UTG+1 calls 40, 3 folds, Hero raises to 160, 4 folds, UTG+1 calls 120

Flop: (380) A, 7, 2 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets 200, UTG calls 200

Turn: (780) 7 (2 players)
UTG bets 400, Hero...

This time you don't have such an easy decision. You made out your opponent as being rather loose and passive, which doesn't make it any easier to interpret this donk bet on the turn. Such an opponent who plays 40% of his hands could certainly have a 7. Furthermore, you know the domination problems you can face with AQ, since AK is always a possiblity with such opponents.

You theoretically have three options. Folding, however, is out of question. You weren't expecting him to donk, but he's giving you great odds. You can't let yourself be pushed out of the pot that easily.

You can consider calling and playing for pot control on this dry board. A raise would probably scare off many weaker hands, and would only isolate opponents with a good range. He will have a strong made hand if he isn't bluffing.

You have to be willing to risk your stack if you are going to raise. You will have no other choice than going all-in on the river. Even if your opponent calls and then pushes on the river, the odds won't let you fold.

Calling allows you to reconsider your way ahead / way behind strategy once again on the river. Your decision will depend on the river card and the size of any bet made by your opponent.

Calling is the best decision in this situation. You don't have to protect, and you can keep the pot small. This is important, as you can never be sure where you stand against this opponent. You will usually call any moderate size bet on the river.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em 11$ Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)

Stacks & Reads
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000)
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
Hero (t2000)
MP3 (t2000)
CO (t2000) sees often the flop, but then plays tight
BU (t2000)
SB (t2000)
BB (t2000)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A , K
Hero raises to 120, 1 fold, CO calls 120, 3 folds

Flop: (300) K, 7, 6 (2 players)
Hero bets 180, CO calls 180

Turn: (660) 5 (2 players)
Hero...

You can't really say where you stand with your hand after this tight opponent calls your contibet. He could be sitting on a weaker hand (KQ-), on a draw (flush draw, 45, 89), or he could be trying to float.

The turn card only completes a 98 straight draw.

In this case, bet/fold is a good line most of the time. You protect against a possible flush or straight draw. If your opponent raises here, you should probably lay down your hand. Pushing would be your only option playing out of position. The question is: are you ahead often enough against this opponent?

You have three choices if you check and your opponent bets. However, a check/raise would be over the top, since you have no real reason to believe he is an aggressive floater. You won't accomplish anything with a check/call, other than dealing out a free card, not knowing where you stand with your hand, and in want of a game plan on the river.

Your hand is too strong to check/fold!

This situation could turn nasty on the river. You definitely don't have many options playing out of position. If you bet the turn and Villain calls, you have three options on the river most of the time (which will be explained in the article about river play). However, the situation won't improve if you only check the turn.

Either way, you will face a difficult decision on the river out of position against this opponent. However, there is nothing wrong with a bet on the turn. This way, you actively protect, and you know where you stand. A check on this draw heavy board could bear hidden dangerous and promises even more problems on the river.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em 11$ Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)

Stacks & Reads
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000) likes playing drawing hands, rather passive
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
MP2 (t2000)
MP3 (t2000)
CO (t2000)
BU (t2000)
SB (t2000)
BB (t2000)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with K , K
1 fold, UTG+1 calls 40, 3 folds, Hero raises to 160, BU calls 160, 3 folds, UTG+1 calls 120

Flop: (540) 5, 6, 3 (3 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets 350, BU fold, UTG calls 350

Turn: (1240) 4 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero…

You obviously don't like the turn card at all. You can almost be sure you're behind against this opponent. Six possible pocket pairs have a set or a straight, countless suited connectors have hit well as well (two pairs, straight).

You have to be willing to go broke if you bet. Bet/fold is out of the question due to the size of the pot and the stacks. What can you accomplish with a bet? You can protect against a flush draw at best - everything else has already hit. The problem is that your opponent will fold most weaker hands and you will end up paying him off when he has a stronger hand.

You could also check behind here. You know this move is also used to induce a bluff, but don't automatically call a bet on the river just because you checked behind on the turn.

You should be happy to take a free showdown if your opponent checks. If he bets, your decision will depend on the size of the pot. A small bet can still be called, but anything that moves towards ½ pot size and beyond is too expensive for your marginal hand.

You can give up your hand when an ugly card shows up on the turn. Here, protection fades into the background, and pot control should be of utmost importance. Your play on the river depends on the river card and the size of any bet your opponent might make.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em 11$ Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)

Stacks & Reads
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000)
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
MP2 (t2000)
MP3 (t2000)
CO (t2000)
BU (t2000)
SB (t2000)
Hero (t2000)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q , Q
4 folds, SB raises to 120, Hero raises to 360, SB calls 240

Flop: (720) 2, 5, 8 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets 450, SB calls 450

Turn: (1620) 2 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero…

You still have to see yourself ahead here, even in a 3-bet pot. The board is very dangerous and a lot of draws are possible (e.g. J Jx – . A Kx- etc.) (all hands you have beat at the moment). Furthermore, your opponent has not shown any aggression since you 3-bet before the flop.

A check behind is very dangerous; you have to protect here. Whether you could induce a bluff on the river on this board is a completely different question. Your opponent could easily have a hand like A or K, which gives him not only a flush draw, but overcards, as well. You have to protect, anything weaker than bet/call turn would be careless.

You are committed after having bet on the turn. You won't have a difficult decision to make on the river.

If you clearly see a need to protect, protect! There's no sense in trying anything tricky; protection is your only concern. You will also get a lot of value every time your opponent is unable to lay down his draw.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em 11$ Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)

Stacks & Reads
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000)
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
MP2 (t2000)
MP3 (t2000)
CO (t2000) Not a fish but relative loose passive
Hero (t2000)
SB (t2000)
BB (t2000)

Preflop: Hero is BU with 2 , 2
UTG raises to 80, 1 fold, CO calls 80, Hero calls 80, 2 folds

Flop: (300) Q, T, 6 (3 players)
UTG checks, CO checks, Hero bets to 150, 1 fold, CO calls 150

Turn: (600) 2 (2 players)
CO checks, Hero…

This time we see the opposite scenario. After trying to grab the pot on the flop with a bluff-bet in position, the turn now gives you a very strong hand. You are very often ahead against top pairs (Qx), two pairs (e.g. QT), draws (e.g. KJ) or weaker hands.

You can certainly ask yourself what weaker hand would call a turn bet. Furthermore, the board is rather dry; you could certainly afford to check behind and try to induce a bluff.

However, you will let value slip away in the long run by not betting. Your opponent is rather loose and will not be able to separate himself from a top pair all too easily. He isn't particularly aggressive, so you can't expect him to bluff. You bet for value.

Your bet shows strength, and your opponent won't necessarily know if you hit anything or not. You can 2nd barrel on the turn, even when you are unimproved, but this move can only be a part of your arsenal when you 2nd barrel with made hands, as well.

After you see this turn card, your goal has to be to move all-in. If you don't manage to do so on the turn, you have to do everything possible to do so on the river.

There is no reason to try any tricks with strong made hands. Even if there is nothing to protect against, this is the kind of opponent who is destined to pay you off, as they want to get to the showdown much too often. You can even go broke with a set in such a situation, since there are so many weaker hands your opponent will call with.

You would have to give "induce the bluff" deeper consideration if you were holding a hand like KQ.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em 11$ Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)

Stacks & Reads
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000)
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
MP2 (t2000)
MP3 (t2000)
CO (t2000) raises preflop almost everything, but plays postflop rather tight
BU (t2000)
SB (t2000)
BB (t2000)

Preflop: Hero is BU with K , Q
6 folds, CO raises to 120, Hero calls 120, 2 folds

Flop: (240) 5, 7, Q (2 players)
CO bets 180, Hero calls 180

Turn: (600) 3 (2 players)
CO checks, Hero…

After you played way ahead / way behind on the flop, the situation hasn't changed on the turn. Either you are clearly ahead with your top pair, or you are clearly behind. The CU seems to be relatively tight and is probably not on a draw.

If you bet now, you won't be able to call a raise. Bet/call would be overplaying your hand against this opponent. Bet/fold would be a possibility, but with which hand would he play check/call on the turn? As there is nothing to protect against, you should try to induce a bluff and check behind on the turn.

You should try to take a free showdown if he calls a bet on the turn. You'll have to call a bet on the river if you check behind, since you would do so to induce a bluff (which his be will often be).

However, if he checks again, bet/fold is an option. You should be able to get some value for your hand, and this move would certainly look strange, which might get him to call a bet with a weaker hand.

You decided to play your hand passively before and on the flop. Stick to this strategy on the turn and try to induce a bluff on the river.

You could, of course, argue that it would be better to bet for value with top pair. However, the problem is, as we mentioned above: Which hand would to pay you off? You are more likely to find success by inducing a bluff than with a value bet in this situation.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em 11$ Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)

Stacks & Reads
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000) often sees the flop but also limps with good hands
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
MP2 (t2000)
MP3 (t2000)
CO (t2000)
Hero (t2000)
SB (t2000)
BB (t2000)

Preflop: Hero is BU with A , J
1 fold, UTG+1 calls 40, 5 folds, Hero raises to 160, 1 folds, BB calls 120, UTG+1 calls 120

Flop: (500) A, 6, 6 (3 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 bets 250, Hero calls 250, 1 folds

Turn: (1000) 9 (2 players)
UTG+1 bets 500, Hero…

After the rather passive player bet into you for the second time, this is slowly becoming a serious question. A 6 is definitely in his range, as are hands like AK. The problem: Even A9 beats you now.

A raise still doesn't make sense. You played passively on the flop, there is still nothing to protect against on the turn. A call would be possible; however, slowly but surely, you should consider a fold.

This is exactly where the problem lies. If you decide to call on the turn, you also have to call a push on the river. There is obviously no card on the river that will improve your situation dramatically. To call the turn and to fold the river makes little sense.

You already have to consider the reverse implied odds on the turn. Ultimately, you have two options:

• Fold
• Call turn / call river

If you see yourself trailing the rather passive player in most cases here, and if you aren't ready to risk your whole stack on the river, then you can make a tough fold on the turn in this situation.

Playing way ahead / way behind doesn't mean you have to push things to the limit every time. It is always important to have a plan for the next street. What do you expect from your opponent, and how will you react? In this example, you haven't invested that much so far, and don't necessarily see yourself ahead, and you aren't ready yet to risk your whole stack on the river. You should fold your hand on the turn.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em 11$ Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)

Stacks & Reads
Hero (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000)
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
MP2 (t2000)
MP3 (t2000)
CO (t2000) postflop tight, but can also play draws aggressively
BU (t2000)
SB (t2000)
BB (t2000)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A , K
Hero raises to 120, 5 folds, CO calls 120, 3 folds

Flop: (300) K, 7, 6 (2 players)
Hero bets 180, CO raises 450, Hero calls 270

Turn: (1200) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets 600, Hero...

You weren't sure where you stood with your hand on the flop and opted for pot control over protection. You don't like the turn card at all. The flush hits, and even KQ beats you now. There aren't many other hands your opponent could be playing. However, you land a redraw with your K.

You should check the turn after having played passively on the flop. Bet/fold would be a pity, especially with your redraw. However, bet/call would be overplaying your hand against this very tight opponent. You will rarely have enough equity to play bet/call.

If you check, it becomes a matter of the size of your opponent's bet. You would be getting roughly 2.5:1 odds in this example. You would need odds of 4:1 to play your flush draw. Folding would not be a mistake, since...

• you will be playing out of position on the river.
• you would therefore have to donk the river, since your opponent will simply check behind too often.
• your hand is very obvious on a board with four cards. There will hardly be a worse hand which will pay you off when you hit.

You simply don't have the right implied odds on the turn. Check/fold is the best option, even with your redraw.

You will have to donk if you hit your flush, even though you will rarely get paid off. Checking is even less likely to bring any additional profit.

You can even give up a reasonable draw on the turn if you don't think you have the necessary implied odds for the river. It may seem strange at first, but you played both the flop and turn correctly in this example.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em 11$ Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)

Stacks & Reads
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000)
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
MP2 (t2000)
Hero (t2000)
CO (t2000)
BU (t2000)
SB (t2000)
BB (t2000)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with K , K
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to 120, 3 folds, Hero raises to 360, 4 folds, UTG+1 calls 240

Flop: (780) A, 7, 4 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

Turn: (780) 3 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero…

You decided to play passively and opted for pot control over protection on the flop. You were hoping to possibly induce a bluff bet from your opponent. A draw may have completed on the turn and your opponent checks again. You could still have the best hand, and your opponent could easily have picked up a one card flush draw.

Once again, you can bet, or check and hope to induce a bluff. However, in this case, betting is the better option:

• An one card flush draw will still pay now, but not on the river.
• You'll receive a free showdown.
• You know you are almost always behind against a check/raise.

Bet/fold is therefore the most suitable line.

Take a free showdown if your opponent only calls. There aren't many weaker hands he would call with. If he suddenly starts showing aggression, you will have to fold.

You will pretty much have to call a moderate bet on the river, unless a appears. In that case, anything other than check/fold would be absurd.

The passive line on the flop can certainly be changed into bet/fold with a suitable turn card. Your opponent is showing weakness, and you will be ahead in most cases. You also have to protect your hand. However, you will only invest in one decent bet on the turn.

Review

There is rarely a correct way to play the turn, the important thing is knowing what a particular move can result in. Can you continue to the story you started telling before the flop? Do you need to protect or can you try tempting an aggressive opponent into bluffing? What do you plan to do on the river? How can your decision on the turn influence the situation on the river?

Once you've given the matter enough thought you will find yourself with a number of options on the turn. And always remember: The better you play, the more pots you win. The more aggressive you play on the turn, the bigger the pots will become. Thus, you will earn a lot of money in the long term with your aggressive play. However, you have also seen that there is more to win at times by stepping on the brakes in the right situation.

LINKS
Related articles: Flop play– Basic Principles Flop play – Aggressive play Flop play – Passive play Turn play– Basic Principles Discussion Forum: Discuss the content of this article in the Forum

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