In this post, we are going to look at some examples of playing hands where it is going to be a good game plan for us to pick up the lead on the turn card and bet out with a probe bet…
Flush Draw with No Showdown Value
$1/$2 $200 Deep
BTN: Raises to $6
Hero in BB: calls with 4♠ 5♠
Flop: K♠ 3♥ T♠
Hero: Checks
BTN: Checks
Turn: J♣
Hero: ?
This is a perfect time to pick up the lead in the pot and try and take it down.
The main reasons are we have a draw which we don’t want to check and call a bet with, however, we can bet and get called and still make our hand. We have no showdown value with our five high at the moment so getting blown off our hand is not a concern.
A Strong Open-Ender
$1/$2 $200 Deep
BTN: Raises to $6
Hero in BB: calls with J♠ T♣
Flop: A♠ 8♥ 4♠
Hero: Checks
BTN: Checks
Turn: 9♣
Hero: ?
This is a time where we can do a few different moves.
We could probe bet sometimes and pick up the lead here, however, we have a decent hand to mix in some check calls, as for the times we hit just a pair with our Jack or Ten we are likely good, so we could bet some of our other open enders with less showdown value like 76 and with this holding mix between some Check-Calls, Check-Raises and Leads.
This will make us balanced in our approach and not picking up the lead too much, we want to pick hands with the least showdown value possible so that when we are raised we have easy decisions.
A Vunerelable Top Pair
$1/$2 $200 Deep
BTN: Raises to $6
Hero in BB: calls with T♣ 7♣
Flop: 4♠ 8♥ 2♣
Hero: Checks
BTN: Checks
Turn: T♠
Hero: ?
This is a good time to pick up the lead and bet to protect our hand.
Our hand isn’t strong enough to mix in some check-raises so we will just want to bet to protect our equity with this type of holding. We can be balanced here by sometimes having straight and flush draws too, so we won’t always be betting with a value hand.
Bottom Two Pair
$1/$2 $200 Deep
BTN: Raises to $6
Hero in BB: calls with K♣ 7♣
Flop: A♠ 8♥ 7♣
Hero: Checks
BTN: Checks
Turn: 8♠
Hero: ?
This is going to be one of those times where we are either way ahead or way behind, so I like checking again here and resisting the urge to pick up the lead.
Too many holdings will be checking back this flop that still has us beat, any pair not as high as the Ace on board like 99-KK would check back the flop a good percentage of the time.
If we go leading out here with our seven, we are almost trying to turn our hand into a bluff and trying to represent having an eight in our hand. So I think a better line for our holding here is to check again and usually call one bet on this street and decide on Rivers.
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