And the Answer Is...

Should you check or bet on the river? Brier's answer was argument #2, bet. As mentioned previously, he explained how the Q on the river did not figure to improve your opponents hand. However, his reasoning is contradictory in that he wants you to bet out with what you now are more sure is the best hand when you think your opponent has nothing. He says that you may even receive a crying call from two big cards if your opponent puts you on a busted draw.

I think this is just terrible for four reasons:

1. If your opponent does have a big hand (AQ, etc.) he will raise. It doesn't matter whether you decide to call or not, betting out has cost you $$.



2. By betting you give your opponent the oppurtunity to raise you off the hand with a bluff. This is the worst possible senario. If you had check-called this would not be an issue.



3. By betting out into an opponent holding nothing you lose the opportunity to induce a bluff. I believe there is a far greater chance that an opponent will attempt a bluff on the river if checked to rather than call with big cards if bet into.



4. There is virtually no chance of an opponent folding a better hand at this point. If he has 77 or 88 he's not folding. Basically you put money into a pot where the only call you can recieve is from a winning hand. That's a bad thing.

I was shocked when Brier was so congratulatory of the player who bet out on the river. Actually, I was more surprised at the way he tried to justify it rather than by the play itself. It just seemed to me like Brier was in the mindset that since you've taken the lead on the turn that you have to follow through on the river when a "blank" (pairing top card on the flop ain't no blank in my book) hits on the river. To add to all of this, the account of the hand ended by saying that the opponent folded for that river bet by the hero of the story.

If it weren't for the repeated jackassedness of a couple of readers I could open up the comment board for a discussion on these posts. If you actually know me you can tell me what you think next time you see me.