Turn and river
Bigger pots, fewer cards to come.
- 01, open this step in the interactive versionYour cardsA♥ J♥BoardK♣ 9♥ 4♥
You hold A♥ J♥ on a flop of K♣ 9♥ 4♥. Nine hearts are left: you have 9 outs, with two cards to come.
- 02, open this step in the interactive version
About how often do you make the flush by the river?
show answer
answerAbout 35%
whyWith two cards to come, outs × 4 gives 36%. The exact figure is 35%.
- 03, open this step in the interactive versionBoardK♣ 9♥ 4♥ 2♠
The turn is the 2♠. One card is left, so your chance drops to about 20%. A draw loses value with every card that misses.
- 04, open this step in the interactive versionPot$100, their bet $50
They bet $50 into $100. You need 25% to call and you have about 20%. Call or fold?
show answer
answerFold
whyThe price is higher than your chance. Calling only works if you expect to win a lot more on the river when you hit. That extra is called implied odds.
- 05, open this step in the interactive versionYour cardsA♥ J♥BoardK♣ 9♥ 4♥ 2♠ 7♣
Say you call anyway. The river is the 7♣. You missed, and no more cards are coming: your hand is now exactly as strong as it will ever be.
- 06, open this step in the interactive version
You have ace-high. If you bet now, which hands call you?
show answer
answerMostly better hands
whyWorse hands fold and better hands call. A bet with a hand in the middle wins nothing extra, so check and take it to showdown.
- 07, open this step in the interactive versionEVvalue +5 · bluff +2 · check 0
On the river, a bet is either for value, hoping a worse hand calls, or a bluff, hoping a better hand folds. Middle hands usually check.
- 08, open this step in the interactive versionYour cardsA♥ J♥BoardK♣ 9♥ 4♥ 2♠ 7♣
Draws get expensive on the turn. On the river, everything splits into value bets, bluffs, and checks.