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Being Beat on the River

How do you know when someone absolutely has you beat on the river and you should throw your hand away ?

Unfortunately, you are never likely to know for sure when your are heads-up. But this is not true for multiway pots.

Suppose the flop is and you have there is a bet, you raise, and someone cold calls behind you.

The turn card is a blank. Again there is a bet, you raise, and the same player cold calls.

If the flush card comes on the end, it is now almost impossible for you to have the best hand.

Though you can’t say for sure that someone has a flush, if he doesn’t, then he has you beat already. (Unless of course you are playing against total maniacs.)

Another time you can be fairly sure that a straight flush card will beat you even when there haven’t been raises is when you are in a pot where many players have stayed on the flop, and there are no drawing opportunities other than two flush cards. perhaps the flop came:

If a flush card appears, you are most likely beaten. It would be different if the flop came:Now your opponents may be in there on straight draws, and it might be correct to pay off a bet if a spade hits the board.

Perhaps the easiest time to put a player on a flush draw occurs when someone raises on the flop, especially against two or three people, then checks on fourth street after everyone else checks (when a non-flush card hits), but bets on the river if the flush card comes.

Folding in this spot is usually correct against typical opponents. A somewhat related online poker that most people miss (even those who play for a living) is to bet into possible flush draws on fourth street when you are not sure whether you or your opponent has better hand.

Here is an example. Suppose you flop top pair but don’t have a very good kicker. Perhaps you flopped jacks and also hold a queen.

Further suppose there were two suited cards on the flop, and when you bet, your opponent raised.

This raise creates a problem for you. First, recognize that you can easily be beat.

Your opponent could hold top pair with a better kicker, an overpair, two pair, or a set. (The action before the flop should give an indication of what he might have.)

However, your opponent also may be on a flush drawand is simply trying for a free card.

In this situation, the correct play is to just call and see what the turn brings.

If a flush card hits, it is now likely that you are beat, and you usually should check and fold.

However, if a flush card does not hit, you may very well have the best hand and you do not want to give any free cards. (*Against good players, the better play may be to come right out betting when the flush card appears.)

consequently, you should bet into your opponent again. (If you are raised again, usually fold. It is a rare player who would semi-bluff raise twice in a row.)

By doing this, you may get a better one-pair hand to fold.

Furthermore, if you still have the best hand, you avoid getting bluffed out, as you probably would be if you check.

If you get raised when you make this play poker, you generally should fold.