The best way to play the turn card in Texas Hold 'em poker...
The “turn” card in Texas Hold’em is significant in the extreme to poker players who really know their game. For beginners let’s just recap that the “turn” card is the fourth community card dealt face up and follows the “flop” during which the first three community cards are dealt face up on the table. Most reasonably seasoned players will take a very cautious approach to the “turn” card. An over-sized bet at this stage will frighten off a majority of the opposition and prevent them going to the “river”, the fifth and final community card to be dealt. This deprives the pot of funds it would otherwise be gathering and it deprives the winner of value if he has managed to build a premium hand on the way to the “turn”. Given that players will already be holding their two concealed hole cards and will have the three face up cards from the flop to observe, most will have the basis of their hand formed in their minds by the time the “turn” card comes round. Those with medium strength hands will not need much aggression from an opponent to induce a fold, hence the need for caution if you hold the bones of a winning hand.
DO NOTHING ALARMING Experienced players with potentially premium hands at this stage are therefore likely to do nothing alarming. The “turn” card is where a flush is likely to come good, particularly if the flop has produced a couple of same suited cards. Two same suited cards at the “flop” which find a same suited companion at the “turn” card will ring alarm bells with a majority of players that a flush is out there. All this adds to our point that the “turn” is not the place for scarey bets. If you have a flush completed just prior to the turn, or even if you have four same suited cards available, a check is a good play. The signal to the table is, either you are having a free look at the fourth card or you have a shakey hand. A player with a strong hand will employ this tactic to spring a “trap”, checking to induce others to bet right through to the “river” and therefore hoping to pump up the pot size.
EXPOSING YOUR CARDS Almost every handbook will tell you never to show your hand at the end of any game of poker. This is especially true if you have been bluffing with some regularity. A tendency to bluff is picked up on and will be punished down the road. The only time you would want to feed knowledge of your hands to regular opponents would be if you were setting them up for a fall at a later date. This needs to be carefully thought out, but can be effective.
ALL THE ACES daily poker column: Friday, September 23, 2005: The Turn Card
