A world-class poker player has stated on several occasions that play on the turn is what really "separates the men from the boys" in middle- and high-limit hold'em. Indeed, I think a lot of money is lost on fourth street because players fail to bet the turn. If you have been the aggressor, and then check the turn, you are telling your opponents a lot. They are now encouraged to believe that they have the best hand, and you have put yourself in a position of having to catch something at the river in order to win. Many pots are lost because a player fails to bet the turn, allowing his opponent(s) to remain in the hand.
There are times when it is right to check the turn after showing strength on earlier rounds. Against a large field, it is frequently correct when you don't have anything and a bet is unlikely to win the pot outright. There are also other special situations, some of which are illustrated in the following problems.
The following hands were taken from middle-limit games. Because they are from live games, not all of the plays leading up to the problem in question are necessarily correct, but they are usually reasonable.
Hand No. 1 ($80-$160 game): You are in the cutoff seat with the A
10
. An early-position player limps in, and you raise in order to isolate the limper. The button folds, but, unfortunately, the small blind calls. The big blind folds, and the early-position player calls. There is $560 in the pot and three players. The flop arrives with the 8 7
3. It is checked to you. You bet, and both opponents call. There is $800 in the pot. The turn is the K. It is checked to you. What should you do?
Answer: Bet. You were the preflop raiser and can represent a king. You raised preflop after an early-position player limped in. Most players will put you on a legitimate raising hand, like a big pocket pair, A-K, or A-Q. The king touches many raising hands that you could have. Your opponents may well fold middle pair, bottom pair, or just overcards, since you have reinforced the idea that you really have something when you keep betting after the price doubles and a king comes off. If you check, you will probably have to catch an ace or a 10 at the river in order to win, since you did not give anyone with anything the opportunity to fold with a bet.
Hand No. 2 ($30-$60 game): You are on the button with the K J. The cutoff opens with a raise. You three-bet, since the cutoff could be on a steal, and you can isolate him with position and a decent playing hand. Only the cutoff calls. There is $230 in the pot and two players. The flop is 8
6 4. Your opponent checks, you bet, and he calls. There is $290 in the pot. The turn is the 8. Your opponent checks. What should you do?
Answer: Bet. It would be criminal to wimp out now against one opponent who is just reacting to your play. If you dog it here, you simply invite your opponent to take the pot away from you at the river. Unless a jack or a king miraculously arrives, you will have to fold if he bets. If he checks the river, you cannot beat ace high in a showdown. If you try betting the river after being checked to when a blank comes, your opponent will call you with a bare ace, since you showed weakness on the turn.
Hand No. 3 ($80-$160 game): You are on the button with the A 4. An early-position player limps in. A new player to the game, who posted a late-position blind, checks. You raise. You are raising because you want to drive out the blinds as well as the new player and get it heads up with position over the limper. You create a lot of dead money and increase your chances of winning the hand. The small blind folds. Unfortunately, the big blind three-bets. The other players fold, and you call. The flop is A 4 3, giving you the top two pair on this single-suited flop. Your opponent checks, you bet, and he calls. The turn is the 10, putting four diamonds on the table. Your opponent checks. What should you do?
Answer: Check. This is one of those special situations when it is right to check it back on the turn in a heads-up situation. You have four outs to beat a possible flush. If you get check-raised by a flush, there will be $1,160 in the pot and it will cost you $160 to try to hit your four-outer for a full house. A four-outer is an 11-to-1 shot, which is far short of your pot odds, even considering an additional bet you may collect at the river if you hit. If your opponent does not have a flush, he has very little chance of running you down, so a free card does not hurt much. You may even induce a river bet from a worse hand.
Hand No. 4 ($80-$160 game): You open with a raise from under the gun with the J J. Only the big blind calls. The flop is A Q 3. Your opponent checks, you bet, and he calls. The turn is the 7, putting a possible flush on the table. Your opponent checks. What should you do?
Answer: Bet. Compare this with the previous hand. Here, you have to bet because you have hardly any outs if your opponent has a better hand. Against a flush, you have no outs. Against top pair or middle pair, you have only two outs. If he raises, you can fold; therefore, you must bet. If you check, you are giving a singleton diamond a free card to beat you. Also, you may induce your opponent to fold a queen by betting.
Hand No. 5 ($60-$120 game): You open with a raise from under the gun with the A K. The cutoff calls and is all in. The big blind calls. The flop is 4 3 2, giving you two overcards with a gutshot-straight draw. The big blind checks, you bet, and he calls. The turn is the 8. The big blind checks. What should you do?
Answer: Check. With a third player all in, you cannot win the entire pot outright by betting. You can perhaps win a side pot, which has two small bets in it, but I think it is better to take a free card and plan on calling down the big blind if he bets the river.
In the actual hand, the player bet and got check-raised. He folded. The river was a blank, and the big blind and the all-in player split the pot, as they both had Q-J. The big blind had picked up a flush draw on the turn and decided to check-raise as a semibluff (which is not a good play for obvious reasons).
Hand No. 6 ($30-$60 game): You are two off the button and open with a raise with the A 10. The small blind calls. The flop is 9 6 5, leaving you with overcards. Your opponent checks, you bet, and he calls. The turn is the 4. Your opponent checks. What should you do?
Answer: Check. With A-K or A-Q, I would bet. But with A-10, you could have the worst ace. If you are in the lead, your opponent may have only three to six outs to beat you, so giving him a free card is not the end of the world. By checking it back, you may induce a river bet from a busted draw.
Hand No. 7 ($30-$60 game): You are under the gun and open with a raise with the A K. Only the big blind calls. The flop is 9 7 7. Your opponent checks, you bet, and he calls. The turn is the J. Your opponent checks. What should you do?
Answer: Bet. You should continue to play at the pot in a heads-up situation like this. Your opponent has done nothing but respond to your play. You don't have a thing, but he may not have anything, either, and just be hanging around on a draw. If you check, your opponent knows exactly where you're at and you have set yourself up to get bluffed out at the river. By betting, your opponent may decide to fold a pocket pair, like sixes, or even another A-K. You also prevent your opponent from betting the river without some kind of made hand, thereby providing yourself a cheap showdown with your big ace.
Editor's note: Jim Brier has co-authored a new book with Bob Ciaffone entitled Middle Limit Holdem Poker. It is available through Card Player.