Book notes continued, by Bill Haywood

Limit Hold'em: Winning Short-Handed Strategies

"Chapter 8, The Turn"

The turn is where hands get clarified — the strong raise, the junk folds. Aggression wins pots, especially in position. Most players who do call the turn will also call the river (unless on a missed draw), so value bet liberally. Turn strategy is also harder to categorize, so this chapter is more anecdotal than others.

Betting weak draws in position

• Generally bet weak draws against a single opponent.
• Usually bet again if next card was unlikely to help villain.
• Vary image by checking behind sometimes.

Good but not great draws

• Commonly call, not raise, against multiple opponents, since you won't win without hitting.
• Try to push out single opponents, especially in position.

Weak hands unlikely to improve, like pocket pairs

• p88 on an AJ4T board, authors recommend folding or checking behind.
• Might still pick off a river bluff.

Medium hands like second pair

• Usually fold to multiple opponents.
• Against one or two, try to see showdown while avoiding trouble.
• Don't allow free cards if you continue the hand.

Pat hands with good draws, like top pair with a flush draw

• Pound.
• Opponents are often in worse shape than they think. Their second pair might seem to have five outs, but two may complete your hand.
• The "freezeout" (p. 142). Raise in position with bottom pair and your good draw (vs. one villain). Turn raises are scary, so they will likely check the river. Then, you bet if your draw hits, check behind otherwise. This gains a bet on a good day, but if you miss, costs the same as calling down your weak pair.
• A very aggressive example hand on page 142. Hero has nut flush draw A2 on board Q93. Position: in between two opponents, with pot capped on flop. The 2 falls on the turn, and authors recommend raising, even though you are unlikely to win without improvement. Their reasoning: early position villain could be on a draw, with a holding like KJ. Your raise is so strong it could drive out the person behind you, putting your 22 in the lead. And with so many outs, the raise cannot be far wrong.

Top pair

• Pound, but getting raised on the turn regularly means you are beat.
• Example hand p.144: authors suggest folding top pair when BB suddenly bets out on the turn, with two players to act after you.

Big hands

• Rarely slow play. If they'll put in money, it'll be before the river.
• Exception would be if a board is so scary everyone is sure to fold.
• Raise, not slow play, with most any draw on the board.
• Don't get all timid against a raise with two pair for fear of a set. Same with non-nut flushes.

Turn moves

Free showdown

• For hands strong enough to call down, weak enough to easily be behind.
• Best against tight single opponent who may fold.
• You raise in position with weak made hand, like second pair, maybe even A high.
• Costs the same as calling down, but may steal successfully, and adds a bet if you improve.
• Don't use if they are likely on a draw.
  • Against a draw, the turn raise does not add a bet when you win, but loses an extra bet if they complete.
  • If their draw hits, they of course bet out on river and you must call. Your turn raise therefore loses an extra bet.
  • If they are drawing, let them bluff river when they miss, which gains the same as raising turn.
  • Against a passive drawer who won't bluff a busted hand, you should still raise turn, charging them the max (but that's raising for value, not really a free showdown move). But such a person probably isn't leading the betting anyway.

Sample (not from book)

You hold: 88

Opponent limps preflop, then calls your raise. He bets out on the flop, and you call.

Board at the turn: 397 2

Opponent continuation bets on turn. Don't raise. There are multiple draws, and since he is leading the betting, he will probably bluff a busted hand on the river. On turn, rope-a-dope vs. draws.

A move: turn check-raise after betting flop

• Do this with a strong hand.
• The turn check represents a failed flop bluff.
• A bet is lost if they check behind, which is partially balanced by when they bet/call river when they would have folded.
• Don't over do — they'll start checking behind or three betting.
• This will encourage them to check behind other times, allowing a free card.

Checking behind with a good hand

• Not for drawy boards!
• Aggressive single opponent necessary.
• Induces river bet. (Your flop raise now looks like a free card bet.)
  • Allows raise when you're still strong.
  • Just calling river when weak saves a bet.
  • Wins same as turn bet when they call river raise.
• Keeps them in if they'd fold.
• Gains a free card.
• Deters check raises and steals.
• They are unlikely to 3bet river even when ahead, because your river raise looks like a suckout.
• Is especially seductive if you've been folding river and they think they can steal.

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