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A turn is the most important stage in taking control of the bank. It is when you must make the important decision as to whether you will increase the size of the bank based on a strong poker hand or call the bet on a weaker hand. If you are hoping to draw a combination, you will want to make seeing the river as inexpensive as possible. Mind that if there are many players in the pot you may increase it having even not complete combination. Though, that is quite difficult for newer players to do.

In most cases, a player on the turn should clearly plan what he will do on the river. That is why, when playing the turn, it is best to think about all the possible plays your opponent could make in various situations from the beginning of the game to the end.

This guide will go over different situations and explain what a suggested play would be.

Top pair with an ace as a kicker (the same recommendations to a hand with a king as a kicker).

If you have the hand on the flop and you have made a good raise, continue your attack on the turn if your contenders are not active, especially when you see straight or flush draws on the table. Be careful when you see the third suit card or a possible complete straight.

Against one opponent in a bad position (you are the first to play on the turn). Bet approximately 2/3 of the bank. If your opponent makes a re-raise, you should lay your cards down in most cases. If you see that your partner often bluffs on a turn, continue the game. The opponent has called in your bet but your top pair has not been strengthened on the river – play check/call if the bets are not big, not more than half of the bank. If you have drawn the second pair on the river, which doesn’t give your opponent the possibility of a flush, keep attacking with a bet of half the bank. You should also attack if you have trips on the river (three cards of a range when two of them are on the table). (What does a “range” mean in this sentence?). Play check/call if the second pair is the third card of a suit on the table. Call the bets up to half bank.

You have a good position against one opponent. If your contender is checking, raise approximately 2/3 of the bank and up to the bank size bet. Only make a bet of the bank size when there are many possibilities to get a stronger combination on the table (for instance: there are 7-8s-Ks-Q on the table, and you have AK). If you have a good position with your contender having been the first to bet and he has just called in your bet on the flop, you should play according to the size of the bet. If the bet is too small (up to 1/3 of the bank), it often means it will be difficult to see the river without paying much. In this case, re-raise his bet the size of the bank in the middle of the table plus the bet of the contender. If the bet is very big (more than half of the bank) and the turn is dangerous enough (for instance: on the flop we have 9-J-A, the turn is Q, you have AK. Such turns can give straights or two pairs to your contenders), the best thing to do is to simply fold.

If you have two or more opponents you can continue your attack, but only if you are in the final position and all the players have checked. If you are in an early position, the advice we would give is to check and see what your opponents’ next moves will be.

Top pair of a low range (Jack and lower) with a middle or a weak kicker (Queen and lower). You may continue your attack with a hand like this on a turn against one opponent, but only if he has just called the bet. If you have been attacked with a big bet and are in a good position, the best idea is to fold. Against two or more contenders you should just call small bets, though the best suggestion may be to check or fold/call.

Two pairs when one of them is a top pair or two top pairs. This kind of a hand is a dominated (Does she mean “dominant”?) one on a turn if the turn is not very dangerous. We suggest playing this hand aggressively on the turn, but with care.

If you are in a bad position, playing against one opponent having two top pairs and you see the third suited card on the turn, and you have a bad position make a raise of half the bank. If the contender is re-raising, you should lay down your cards. If he has just called, play check-call/fold on the river. You should fold if your contender is not a bluffer and his game seems to be tight. If all players have checked and you have a good position, make a big bet approximately 2/3 of the bank without taking into account what cards are on the table. You should bet a lot because, if the contender draws a straight (flush is easier to read) or two pairs, he will have a good chance of a big bank as you call his big bet on the river. When you have only one pair it’s easier to fold.

If someone has made a big bet before you and you have a good position, we would suggest re-raising if you have two top pairs and no straight draws or three cards of the same suit on the table. If there are three cards of the same suit on the turn, you should call only small bets (up to halfthe bank). Since you are not sure if your contender has drawn a flush, you have a good chance to draw a full-house. If your hand has not been strengthened on the river, you should call only small bets up to 1/3 of the bank. If you have two lower pairs and your opponent is playing aggressively, the best thing to do is just call his big bets without making the bank too big.

Remember that two pairs is a very strong hand, but it’s not a sure winner. It’s important not to overpay to stronger combinations than yours. You should attack aggressively if the contenders play passively, but slow down if you see aggressiveness. If you do see aggressive play, you should play check/call.

Trips, straights and flushes were not considered in the recommendations of playing on the flop. The general recommendation will be given here.

Trips. Most new players usually overestimate the strength of this combination. A trip is, of course, a very strong hand. The probability of its domination on a turn-river is very high. But it is also the most readable strong combination in Hold’em. That is why it’s the most unprofitable combination if the player is weak. Most players can’t fold this hand and play it like a set. If the contenders are passive, you should attack with a bet as big ashalfthe bank in order to not give any chance in drawing stronger combinations. Don’t play trips slowly. If your contender is aggressive, slow down and play check-call/fold. Fold trips if two or more opponents play aggressively and raise/re-raise the bets. Also, fold trips if one opponent has made a very big bet (the size of the bank when the bank is very big already - usually on a turn and a river).

Straights.

1 .When you have a high straight (for instance: 1. 6-7-9 are on the table, you have 8Т; 2. 3-4-5 are on the table, you have 67), slow play is possible here (call big bets but don’t check if nobody has bet). It’s important to remember that, if there is a pair on the table, you should play very carefully with the straight. When you see the aggressiveness from an adequate opponent, the best idea is not to raise, but just call. Even when there is a pair on the table, never fold this combination and play whole stack in micro limit game.

2. When the straight is not high, but is formed by two pocket cards one of which completes the gut-shot straight or your cards are the two ends of the straight, the recommendations are the same as for the high straight. Though that advice is generally the best,there may be a case when there are two possibilities of forming the straight (for instance: you have 46, 5-7-8-T are on the table, two variants are possible here: 69, 9J). In this case you should also slow down if you see any aggressiveness and check-call.
You may fold against an adequate contender if there is a pair on the board and you don’t have a high straight. Also fold if you attacked and faced a very big re-raise.

3. If you have a low straight formed of connectors (for instance: 6-7-8 are on the table, you have 45, and there is neither a nine nor a T on the table), you should play aggressively if the rest of the players are passive. But, if you see any aggressiveness, you should play check/call.

4. The straight formed by one pocket card. (This is a sentence fragment and contains only the subject.) The best possibility is if your pocket card is at the high end of the straight. In micro limit games, you may often be called by the person holding the low end of the straight. Never re-raise on those types of straights. You should just call the attack. If you see the contender is attacking, he most likely has the same straight. Sometimes his straight will be lower. Your re-raise will force the other hands to fold. At the same time you may lose a lot to a higher straight.

Check/fold if you have the low end of the straight.

5. If your pocket card completes the gut-shot straight, we would recommend betting halfthe bank. But you should check/call if some of the players are aggressive.

Flush. You should slow down if you have a high flush. Never play slowly on a turn and a river when you don’t have a high flush. If one more card of the same suit comes, your game will become more complicated. Bet 2/3 of the bank up to the river, but slow down if you see any aggressiveness and play check/call. We suggest playing check-call even with a nut flush if there is a pair on the board and your contender is playing aggressively.

Important moment. When you have a low straight on the river, you should call without any re-raises if after there was a big re-raise after yours.

Set. Play a set the same way as two pairs if your opponents play passively. Raise/re-raise up to the stack when you have a set on the not dangerous board and you see aggressive play from other players. Don’t play slowly with a set in a micro limit game if you face any aggressiveness. It will not frighten your contender.

Bet half the bank to check the contender’s hand when you see the third suited card on the turn and you have a bad position. If there is not a big re-raise, you should call in hopes of drawing a full-house on the river (the maximum re-raise you may call is the sum of your bet plus half the bank in the middle of the table). In a good position you could call the opponent’s bet if it is not bigger than 1/3 of the bank. If the player is very aggressive, you may even call 2/3 of the bank. If your hand hasn’t been improved on the river, you shouldn’t call more than 1/3 of the bank. Though, if the opponent is playing fast, you may even call 1/2 of the bank. If you have two or more opponents on the turn, (somebody has bet and there has been a call) you could call the bet up to the bank size.

Unfinished combinations.

Flush-draw and straight-draw.

All unfinished combinations are depreciated on a turn. There is only one card left to get more money for the drawn combination. Check/call up tohalfthe bank against one opponent when you have an open-ended straight or a flush-draw if there is no pair on the board. Against two or more contenders, we suggest playing check/call up to the bank size if there is no pair on the board. You should check/fold if there is a pair on the board.

Strong combined unfinished combinations.

Play according to the way you played on the flop, the number of contenders and your position.

Against one contender.

If you have re-raised the contender’s bet on the flop, you have a good position and the contender has called (if all checked, you bet and got a call from one player), just check if he has checked too. You will get a free card. If he bets, call up to 2/3 of the bank.

If you have called on the flop, it’s best to bluff on the turn if the opponent checks or calls the bet up to 2/3 of the bank.

Against two or more contenders.

Check/call the bets up to the bank size if you have a bad position. Bluff in a good position if all the players have checked. Bet 2/3 of the bank. Call in the bet up to the bank size if there are a minimum two players and you have stayed in the game. If you have only one opponent, you should call up to 2/3 of the bank.

If your hand has become stronger up to a straight or a flush, bet half the bank on the river against any number of contenders.

This strategy is not ideal, but just teaches a new player how to play reliably. It will help you avoid difficult situations.