Poker Hand Quiz: Playing A Premium On The River

Answer: Your king-high flush draw lacks showdown but has a lot of equity and can reasonably call a check-raise. When that is the case, you should be inclined to bet, especially if you think your opponents don’t love their hands.

Multi-way, you should usually use a small bet size due to not having a big range or nut advantage, plus you want to be able to keep the pot manageable in case you get raised.

Answer: With top pair and a flush draw, always consider if a turn bet will likely get check-raised. If you expect to rarely get raised, you can certainly bet for value to get called by many worse hands. As you expect your opponents to check-raise more often, you should consider checking behind so you don’t find yourself facing a lot of pressure.

In this spot, there are many hands worse than yours that can call a bet, so betting is best. Since the made hands you are trying to get called by are somewhat marginal, it is best to use a small size.

Answer: When you river trips, betting is certainly best. Always take a moment to consider the type of hands you are trying to get called by. Most likely, the small blind either has a busted draw (which will fold to any bet), or a marginal made hand like a pocket pair (which will call a medium-sized bet).

When you think your opponent’s range is mostly trash or marginal hands, you should not use a large bet size for value unless your opponent is exceptionally prone to calling on the river.