Seeing the river "for free"

IamVALHALLA

IamVALHALLA

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Something I've picked up on lately - I have position on a single villain, and they bet the flop - if I re-raise their initial bet, they almost always call my re-raise but then check the turn, meaning if I had a good draw I can also check and see the river for free.


I've managed to draw so many hands doing this lately since I noticed it.


I'm assuming most players with any amount of experience are aware this happens (unless I'm imagining it), but my question is - am I mathematically correct in checking the turn as well? I always do it if I'm in this situation but I can't help feeling I'm missing out on some value since (if my hand hits on the river) villain will almost certainly know and be less willing to bet anyway.


But if I bet the turn villain might re-raise/shove and put me in an awkward position.
 
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badelf

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Most tight players don't rely on the river to make their hand, from what I've noticed. So if your villain is a tight player, his hand is pretty strong on the flop... if he checks the turn he/she may want to receive some information from you about your hand. So if your hand isn't quite strong on the turn I think it's a good idea to check. The villain knows he has the strongest hand and he/she can try to shove or put you all in. I think your way of playing is safe.
 
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irbij

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No Freebies

Never letbanyone see the river for free.
 
Mikeisanace777

Mikeisanace777

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It's like a stock solid semi bluff play

This is a good play when you have air actually because it gives you bluff outs and you can bet the river with nothing when you displayed the similar play before and showed him the straight.

So, in a nutshell, doing this primarily to only to hit your draw or check-fold is very exploitable, but doing it now again is a good way to get a winning hand paid off and display a tell that you can later reverse into a bluff if this makes sense? This also goes in reverse when the flush falls and your opponent just calls with a weak flush and you had trash which the table will notice. So like 6 hands later you can make it looke like a bluff again with the nuts and get paid off get it?


Overall though it's very solid to bet the turn even with draws because it gets people to lay it down a middle pair and you just pick up the pot right there so mix it up.
 
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IamVALHALLA

IamVALHALLA

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Nice post Mikeisanace777, and good advice. Thank you I will take it on board.
 
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CrashMcCarran

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One thing I would add to reduce the possibility of being exploited when making this move would be to play would be to play big hands on the flop the same way when against a tight player. This way your betting range on the river isn't so polarized ( either you got there or you have air) and you can get more value out of big hands and feet away with more bluffs.
 
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KingTurd

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don't let them see the river for free. you're giving up strength of your hand. if they always call so be it but checking to see the free card means if you don't hit on the river your ability to steal is crushed because you revealed your strength on the turn. you're missing opportunities to steal rivers if you don't hit by checking.
 
TeUnit

TeUnit

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Think this is very villan dependent, think you want to try to maximize how much you win and minimize how much you lose.
 
elizeuof

elizeuof

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Usually I will check de turn, if the villain is TAG and I don't have a made hand or atleast a good draw, but some times, if I has i good image at the table I will bet, in this way i can win on the turn and I will have odds to make a good hand in the river, depending of the villain image and him actions I will try to bluff on river.
 
alexgrin

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Much depends on the opponent - on his format of the game and the number of hands that he discovers. Definitely on the river you can show a good bluff
 
Ragequit

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Some players who are on a draw raise the flop so that their opponents become nervous on the turn and check to them. Then they can check behind and see another card free.
 
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