Betting After the Turn in Texas Holdem

As you turn your eyes around you, you see the crowd much thinner than it was when the game started. There are more onlookers than actual players such as you. And whatever are remaining, are trying their damnedest best their true feelings to come on their face. Just as you are. Somebody has hidden their eyes behind dark glasses; somebody is wearing deep orange specs. Somebody has brought a fruit along with them as talisman (naah, its not a talisman, I keep it with me because it gives off a good fragrance, you see) � There are quite a variety of people sitting around you. All hoping to grab that pot full of gold before them. You turn your attention back to your pocket cards, and the community cards lying on the table. The post-flop round had ended a few moments ago, and the dealer flicked a burn card aside before throwing the turn card on the table, next to the flop cards. You stare at the pot before you. A lot of your money is already invested in there. Will it come back to you and bring along with it the rest of the moolah lying there too? Or is it the last you are going to see of it? �Now what should I do?� is a thought that keeps ringing in the ears. By this time, you have called, betted, checked, raised � you have done everything but fold. That is how you have reached this stage. Pull yourself up. This is the time to stay focused and keep your thoughts from drifting to any negative issues of doom, despair and failure. What can go wrong with this one single, turn card on the table? Well, this turn card has done two possible things to the hands around the table. It has either not affected the strength of your opponents� hands one bit. Or, it has improved their prospects considerably, and they are thanking their stars for not having quit at the pre-flop or post-flop moments. The same goes with you, too. That one single turn card has either not affected your chances at all, or it has pepped you up considerably. The only issue then, is to see how much pepping up the others have received. How do figure this out? And what should be your strategy? In case your hand has become stronger due to the turn card, the answer is simple. Go ahead. Bet. It might be a good idea to simply check also, just to lull the competition into thinking they hold the winning combination. If you have marginal or medium hand, and if you happen to be sitting in an early position (very close to the dealer), then you need to pause to introspect. How had the competition behaved at the flop? Were they aggressive then? Had they raised and reraised you then? If nobody had shown any belligerent tendencies at that point, then the chances are that you have an edge now. On the other hand, the sight of a strong hand in their hands can tempt the opponent to raise after you have bet, to enlarge the pot further. This is a cue for you to take a tough decision. A raise at this stage coming from the enemy�s camp usually only means one thing. It�s time you seriously considered folding. Again, if you are sitting in the middle position with a medium-powered hand, and the player(s) before you have bet, then you have got to be pretty sure about how �strong� your �medium-powered� hand is, before matching the bet or raising. And again the same logic holds � somebody who is raising at the turn card, and is positioned before you, must quite surely be having either ultra-strong hands or ultra-deep pockets. A late position is always advantageous in all rounds of betting. By the time your chance comes, others have already played, and so you know exactly where you stand. With weak tight players who can make laydowns, initiating a free showdown is an ideal move. Opponents that are calling will in all likelihood not fold, so doing a free card against them is again an ideal move � Whatever be your move, after being in the game at the turn stage, it is better to be very, very cautious about the money that you have already invested in the pot. As somebody wise said long ago � �Don�t throw good money after bad!� Good luck to you! See you after the river card!