Ever bet the river, get called, and lose the hand? Have you then sat there thinking, “Why didn’t I just check behind and save that last bet?” Sometimes, checking behind is the best thing. Getting a grasp on the situations where the only time you are getting called is when you are beat and the only time they are folding is when you are beating them is an important step in a poker player’s growth.

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Why bet in a spot where you’ll get called by a hand that beats you? First off, value betting doesn’t mean you are getting value out of a play 100% of the time. Instead, it means that over time in similar situations, the bet will be profitable. It doesn’t have to be profitable by a huge margin for it to be the correct play. Many times, players only try to get value out of extremely strong hands and just get to showdowns with many of their other hands that they should be using to extract value out of their opponents.

And like many other aspects of poker, value betting isn’t about what you think your opponent should do, but rather what they will actually do with the different hands they may have. Just because you would fold middle pair to a guy who has shown strength on every street doesn’t mean the guy you are playing will fold there.

Over time, I have been amazed at the instances where I was able to get value on every street with just top pair and an average kicker. You have to be watching and cataloging the actions of your opponents to be able to determine what types of hands you should be value betting against them. You also have to get over the fear of losing another bet.

It is okay to make a bet and lose. It is okay to fold the best hand. It is okay to call with a hand that isn’t the best. If you never do any of those, you are playing too far to one extreme or the other.

Not only should you be value betting as thinly as you can to maximize your profit on each hand, but this style of play also makes you a much tougher opponent for others at the table.

If you are only value betting the nuts, then your opponents can quickly figure out that when you are betting, you either have the nuts or are on a bluff. They still won’t know for sure, but based on the storyline of a hand, it is a lot easier to narrow it down when those are the only two possibilities and they can be sure you aren’t betting a middle hand.

It isn’t uncommon to see a hand turned up that almost had to be the best and another guy also turned up a really strong hand that he would have had to call with, but the action went check-check on the river. You’ll hear a lot of, “He could have had a bigger full house” or, “I knew I had you, but I was afraid of the straight flush.”

Sometimes, you will run into those hands that are in the very top percentage of their range and lose a pot. A lot of times, you will run into hands that they just fold and you would have ended up the same either way. But a part of the time, you will run into the mediocre hands they just can’t let go of and you will get another street of value. Plus, you’ll add more variables to your game and open up more plays for yourself, while at the same time masking what you are doing to your opponents.

Court Harrington has worked on the business side of the poker industry in roles including tournament reporting for PocketFives, radio hosting for PokerRoad Radio, coaching for the WSOP Academy and privately, and a variety of behind-the-scenes responsibilities for poker media businesses. He also plays in cash games and tournaments. Harrington is currently doing consulting work and exploring business opportunities outside of the poker industry. You can contact him at Court@CourtHarrington.com.