Should you call that river min-raise?
While getting raised the minimum on the river doesnât necessarily cost you a lot, itâs rather annoying regardless.
Isnât it just always value? Does your opponent ever bluff for the minimum? Are you getting too good odds to fold?
Yep, sometimes youâd rather they have just shoved. In a way, it makes your decision easier.
So, should you call the river min-raise? Thatâs one of the things PokerStars School has looked at over the past seven days.
THIS WEEK:
- Should you call that river min-raise?
- Cash Hands for Beginners: Part 5 â Block Betting the River
- 8-Game Hand Review â 2-7 Triple Draw Instalment
- More from PokerStars School
Should you call that river min-raise?
PokerStars Schoolâs Dave Roemer sets up a hand scenario that many new and aspiring poker players struggle with.
âHereâs the scenario. With the blinds at 40-80 (12 ante) in a micro MTT, weâve raised preflop with A⣠Kâ„ to 176 from the HJ, and the BU calls. Seeing the flop heads up, we decide to continuation bet 174 into 580 on a 10⣠6⊠5⣠board, and the villain calls.
“The turn is the Q⊠and it goes check/check. The river comes the A⊠giving us top pair/top kicker, and completing a back door flush draw and back door straight draws. We elect to bet 320 into 928 going for some value, and the villain min-raises us to 640. Placing debate about the flop and turn choices aside, should we call this river raise?â
What would you do?
Find out what Roemer suggests here.
Cash Hands for Beginners: Part 5 â Block Betting the River
In the fifth instalment of his Cash Hands for Beginners video series, Pete Clarke takes a look at a powerful yet often misunderstood concept: block betting on the river.
A block bet is a small bet (perhaps 20-30% of the pot) designed to prevent your opponents from making larger bets themselves when youâre out of position. The idea is that–unless they have the nuts–they might just call out of uncertainty, letting you get to a showdown for cheaper.
Watch Clarkeâs Block Betting the River video here.
8-Game Hand Review â 2-7 Triple Draw Instalment
Clarke has also continued his dive into the mixed game pool and this week heâs making a splash in arguably one of the most fun poker variants out there: 2-7 triple draw.
âIn 2-7 triple draw, the idea is to make the lowest possible hand without making a pair, straight, or flush,â Clarke writes. âThe nuts is 75432 in this limit game, but in heads-ups play, which will be our focus today, a made 8-high is a monster hand and even a made 9-high will normally be enough to take down the pot. Despite the fact that players get three rounds of swapping as many cards as they please, it is very tricky to amass five low cards without making pairs or straights.â
What’s not to love?
Click here to learn more about 2-7 triple draw.
More from PokerStars School:
- How to play low boards in 3-bet pots
- When to set the trap in cash games
- 10 poker strategy ideas all beginners should know
- How to win a $12 Grand Tour sprint on PokerStars
- When to open with hands you shouldnât be opening
- When to pull the trigger on big bluffs
- Four Beginner Tournament Mistakes to Avoid
- Hand reading for beginners: Defining ranges
- 4 bad reasons for playing a poker session
- 4 bad reasons for checking your hand
- 3 common poker study pitfalls to avoid
- The 3 steps to pulling off a big fold
- 4 online poker reads you can make on your opponents
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