Value betting the river

The main difference between good poker players and a great poker players is that the great poker players know when to value bet the river. They also know the exact bet that is needed to attain a call from their opponent.

The idea of a value bet is to get your opponent to call your bet because you believe them to have a worse hand.

When to Value Bet

The first thing to realise before even considering a value bet on the river. Does the bet actually have any value. You need to work out what hands your opponent can actually have that he would call a value bet on the river with. In order to be able to this you need to run through the hand again in your head. Think about what type of player your opponent is. And also what type of player he thinks you are.

Once you have put your opponent on a range of hands. You then need to work out what percentage of the hands he will call a bet on the river. You also have to work out the percentage of hands he can have that can actually beat you. If the percentage of hands that he will call with is low you might be better checking. Also if the hands that can beat you is fairly high checking is also the best option. You also have to consider if he is capable of check raising on the river. However, if he never check-raises and also has a tendency to call a bet on the river, a river bet then has value.

Is their value in a bet on the river

This is what you have to run through your head before making a value bet on the river. Is their value if I bet the river? If the answer is yes, then you put in a value bet. If the answer is no. Then you check. You have to realise that some hands have more value in checking than actually betting.

For example, if you have top pair with an average kicker, you hand has good check value. This is because it is also possible that your opponent has a similar hand, which in the same circumstances wouldn’t bet the river, but will call a value bet.

Another example is when the only hand that is going to call you is a hand that is beating you. If you have a low end flush using only one card, the only value bet that is going to call you is a player with a higher flush. So there is no value in betting the river, as the only caller is going to be a player with a better hand.

The most important thing to consider before value betting is, what can he call a bet on the river with. If you can only come up with a better hand. You should check. Sometimes hands have more check value than bet value.

Related posts:

1. Get Paid Off on Big Hands – The Value Bet Concept
2. Bad Beats Happen, Deal with It!
3. Playing Small Ball Poker