High Stakes Fixed Limit Holdem River Strategy

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Once we reach the river, we should have a pretty good idea where we stand. Again, most of the decisions made on the river are based on math. This should of course be combined with our reads on our opponent and his probable range. The math is pretty simple. Once you reach the high stakes you likely have a solid grasp on range versus range and figuring out the odds accordingly. The key is to follow your reads for long-term profits.

For instance, perhaps you are playing an aggressive player who you know likes to bluff and push other players around. On a scary river card, your opponent is going to use this to his advantage. He will likely play it quite aggressively, knowing that if you did not make a very strong hand you are more likely to fold. This is where you need to figure the math and your pot odds to a call. If the odds justify a call, then you must do this, even though in many cases you will lose that hand. Over time, making the right calls against the odds will show a profit.

Most opponents are going to play the river fairly straight forward. This makes for some interesting decisions because although we know that they should not tend to bluff, there is a fine line between a good call and a bad call on the river.

Suppose we have a hand such as a set on the flop and we have done a good job of building a large pot. On the turn, our opponent slows down and check-calls a bet and the river brings a scare card, such as a fourth suited card, making the possibility of a flush more likely. Now our opponent bets into us. This is a situation where you may say you “know” you are beat, but in reality, you don’t know. The math in this case would likely tell us to call. The funny thing is that the better the opponent, the more aggressive and savvy, the more we should be likely to call. This is because a very tricky opponent may use this card to try to take down a large pot with a hand that is worse than our own. A weaker player would be betting simply based on their own hand, with no regard to what we might be holding.

This is a situation that great players use to their advantage. You must know your opponent, however, because some will make the call based solely on the math and others still will make a call just on the merit of their own hand. But when the situation arises against the right player, large pots can be won by betting with scare cards or even check-raising on scare cards.

These are the types of plays that should come with a lot of experience and very good hand-reading and opponent-reading skills. There are times when they backfire and players make good, tough calls, but in this case, we often gain as well. We gain information and we can use this information for the next time a similar situation comes up. Quality note-taking is important when this happens, as good opponents are likely taking good notes on the same situation for the next time it arises.

However, if you simply play the river very straight, making bets when you likely have the best hand and calls when the pot odds justify it, you can still play very profitably on the river.

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