It is said that, "You live or die on the river". If you have read the rest of the site you know that you will not be staying in the pot most of the time. You will see the river card only three or four times an hour. If you do not have a good poker hand when you get to the river it is still possible to bluff and win the pot. Be aware that if you are playing in a low stakes game there is always going to be someone who will call you. Bluffing on the river is really not an option unless you are playing in a high stakes or no limit game.
I played holdem at the IP in Vegas with a guy who was good enough to get some folks to bankroll him the ten large that he need to enter one of the big tournaments. He was half disgusted by the fact that he was knocked out early by, " Some dot commer who caught a straight on the river. She did not have the poker sense to drop before the flop." Which just shows to fo ya that not everyboy has read the book. LOL
Sometimes it just pays to go with the gut. Unless you have the nut flush or the nut straight you can still get beat on the river. When you just start out you have to train yourself to watch the board very carefully. Always ask, "Is there a straight or flush draw? I was playing once with a group of my friends at a game at the Palms in Las Vegas. I figured that I was golden with two aces in the pocket and caught the set on the turn card. I also noticed that there were three hearts on the board so I pulled in my horns fast. When asked by the dealer why I did not bet the Aces. I answered with one word, "Fear" He laughed at that and said he had felt the same fear many times himself.
|
|
|