River Play Strategies in Poker: Bluffing, Value Betting, and More

So we’ve check/raised the turn while out of position – now what? Should we bet the river? If so, which hands make sense? Should we ever check/raise the river after check/raising the turn?

If you are confused about what to do on the river after check/raising the turn, you are no different than the vast majority of poker players.

With the help of a sample poker hand we will answer some of the most common questions regarding river play after check/raising the turn.

Let’s take a look at our list of questions:

1. Should we bluff the river after check/raising the turn?
2. Which types of hands make sense to bluff with?
3. Which sizing should we use when bluffing the river?
4. How often should we bluff the river after check/raising the turn?
5. How wide can we value bet the river after check/raising the turn?
6. Which bet sizing should we use when value-betting the river?
7. How do we play mid-strength hands on the river after check/raising the turn?
8. What happens if we bet our mid-strength hands on the river?
9. Should we ever trap the river after check/raising the turn?
10. Should we ever check/raise bluff the river after check/raising the turn?

Example Hand

Although there are countless ways that we can reach the river after check/raising turn, we’ll use the following sample hand to help us answer our river play questions.

200bb effective stacks.
BTN opens to 2.5bb.
BB cold-calls.

Flop: Th9h5d (Pot 5.5bb)
BB checks.
BTN cbets 4.25bb.
BB calls 4.25bb.

Turn: 6h (14bb)
BB checks.
BTN bets 10bb
BB raises to 27bb
BTN calls 17bb

River: 2c (68bb)
BB?

Take a moment to think through the hand and decide –

Which hands would you check/raise the turn?
How would you play those hands on the river?
Let’s look at our questions.

Q1 – Should we bluff the river after check/raising the turn?
Theoretically, the answer to this question is a definite yes. Since we will be firing strong hands for value on the river, our gameplan can become very transparent if we never show up with a bluff.

In practice, it depends on our opponent. For example, if our opponent is folding the river less than he is supposed to, it may be correct for us to never bluff.