Most of the time you won’t even see the turn. You’ll have thrown away most of your hands before the flop, and mucked others once you saw the flop did not fit it. You need a valid reason for seeing the turn.

It’s very easy to squander your bankroll one bet at a time. Many players do just that by calling one more bet and then another. While calling any one bet might be insignificant by itself, collectively it can break you.

If you’ve made it to the turn you should be holding a good hand, a promising draw, or believe your bluff (or semi-bluff) can pick up the pot.

What to Do When You Improve

Your hand can improve on the turn in one of two ways. The turn card can complete your flush or straight, and that’s almost always nice. You can also improve when the turn card converts your holdings into a set, trips, two pair, or an overpair. The turn is also beneficial whenever you had the best hand going in, and the turn — while not improving your hand — did not improve your opponent’s either. While you won’t always be able to know this with certainty, there are clues you can pick up by recalling your opponents pattern of betting and raising, and determining if the turn card might be helpful to someone who played that way before and on the flop.

For example, suppose you hold Q-J and flopped Q-J-6 of mixed suits. Chances are you’ve got the best hand. Even if the turn card does not improve your hand, you’re still likely to hold the best hand. While any turn card could conceivably make a set for an opponent holding a pocket pair of that same rank, and an ace, king, ten, nine or eight could make a straight, and are potentially more dangerous for you than any other cards.

When you’ve got top two pair on the turn and an opponent bets, you should usually raise. If you are in late position and none of your opponents have acted, you should bet. If you’re in early position, check with the intention of raising if you are fairly certain that one of your opponents will bet. If you think your opponents will check, go ahead and bet.

If you have the best hand, betting gets the maximum amount of money in the pot, and makes it expensive for anyone to draw-out on you. But it’s not a totally risk-free strategy. If your opponent has made a set or turned a straight, you can count on being raised or reraised.

If you raise and are reraised, your opponent probably made a set or a straight. But if you were the bettor and are raised, your opponent could also have two pair — and since you’re playing the top two pair, his will be smaller.

Assume the turn card was a seven. Everyone checks, you bet, and are raised by the big blind. Since the big blind had a free-play, he could be holding anything. He might have J-7 or Q-7, and is now raising because he thinks his two pair is the best hand. You won’t be sure what he’s holding, but knowing his playing style will frequently provide clues.

When You Don’t Improve

Most of the time the turn card will not help you. So what should you do? The answer depends on the kind of hand you have, and the relationship between the pot odds and your chances of making your hand on the river.

If you’ve got an open ended straight or flush draw, and you’re up against two or more opponents, call any bet on the turn, under most circumstances. However, if the board is paired, and there’s a bet and raise in front of you, be wary. You might be up against a full house. If you are, you’re drawing dead.

You could also be up against a set or two pair. The strongest clues to which hand you’re facing lie in knowing your opponents. If you’re up against someone who never raises a three-suited board unless he can beat that probable flush, release your hand.

Read also about free five card poker, how to handle through online poker sign up bonus catches and why Governor Poker download is becoming more and more popular.

Source: Games