Player's Stories

Shorthanded Poker: The Powerful Turn Raise
by Jason Pohl

So far, I have spent nearly ten articles showing that even something as simple as preflop decision making is still an area where a huge divergence in play separates winning and losing players. However, preflop strategy is not what most divides winners and losers. Instead, winners take advantage of two skills above all else: reading hands and taking advantage of position.

It's very hard to teach somebody to read hands well. Playing experience, not study, will help in the pursuit of this skill. In shorthanded poker, there is a wide range of hands that even an expert must believe an opponent is holding. On the other hand, there are a finite number of "expert plays" that take advantage of position. The winning player employs these tools at the correct times with the correct frequency to maximize profit. Today, we'll look at one commonly used gambit employed by winning shorthanded players: raising the turn with the intention of checking the river, a tactic I dub simply the "Turn Raise."

In shorthanded poker especially, a player will hold a medium strength hand after the flop and be faced with some awkward judgments. Against an opponent holding a wide range of possible hands, a medium strength hand is often too powerful to fold. The base play would be to simply call to the river.

However, there are four ambitions that underscore a more aggressive approach on the turn: to avoid giving free cards, to maximize winnings, to minimize losses, and to win pots with inferior cards. Let's start by taking a look at what happens with the typical "call down" approach.

The Call Down approach
Example 1. $10/20. $45 in pot. Button holds JhTh.
BB checkraises the flop. The Button calls.
Board: 5d Td 8c Qd. $85 in pot

Often, you will find yourself in a position similar to the one above. On the flop, your opponent shows strength by checkraising, but they could be making a move with as little as a straight draw, smaller pair, or even a pair of tens with no kicker. On the other hand, the big blind might be holding two diamonds, AT, KT, QT, T8, or a set. The big blind may even have been semibluffing with a hand such as AQ or Q8, and now they will be in the lead. So the button is in a predicament. Clearly, there is enough chance that the pair of tens is winning for this hand to see a showdown. Also, against many of the above hands, the JhTh has outs even if it behind on the turn. Let's examine what happens if the button only calls the turn.

Example 1A. $10/20. $85 in pot. Button holds JhTh.
The BB bets the turn. The Button calls. $125 in pot.
Board: 5d Td 8c Qd Ah.

First, let's assume the big blind checks on the river. Now, the button has a tough decision. Bet or check? Will the big blind call an additional bet with a smaller pair? A bet here on the river is thin value at best, and so the button is forced to make a decision that could easily be wrong.

Let's assume the big blind bets the river. The button is in no better shape. After all, most good players in the big blind would realize that the button has to hold some sort of hand, and besides, what could the big blind be betting as a bluff? So, the question becomes, "What are the odds the big blind bets out with lower than a pair of tens?" It's a tough decision that the button would probably be happy to avoid.

Example 1B. $10/20. $85 in pot. Button holds JhTh.
The BB bets the turn. The Button calls. $125 in pot.
Board: 5d Td 8c Qd 2d.

What a horrible river card! The 4th diamond on the river has created lots of problems for the button's pair of tens. After all, the BB might just bluff on the river with a busted straight draw or smaller pair, even without a diamond. Or, the BB might check-call with any hand beating the button but not containing a diamond. Either way, the JhTh is paralyzed.

Example 1C. $10/20. $85 in pot. Button holds JhTh.
The BB bets the turn. The Button calls. $125 in pot.
Board: 5d Td 8c Qd 6h.

Is that river card a brick, or did it make a straight for the opponent's 97? Or maybe two pair: sixes and fives or eights and sixes? So, now there are two problems. The button still has to make a tough decision on the river, bet or check, call or fold. But also, we see how the big blind has been given the opportunity to catch a winning second pair or straight, often when it would have folded if pressure had been applied.

The Turn Raise Approach
Example 2. $10/20. $85 in pot. Button holds JhTh.
The BB bets the turn. The Button raises. $145 in pot (BB must call $20)
Board 5d Td 8c Qd.

We have a different scenario in Example 2 then any of the examples above because initiative is now in the hands of the button, not the big blind. The button's raise screams "I have a big hand." Despite the big blind's flop checkraise (which I grant doesn't mean as much as it does in a full game) the button is demonstrating strength.

And the truth is that the button does have strength. A pair of tens with jack kicker is not bad at all, especially heads-up, and a nine offers three or four extra straight outs against many holdings. But the real value of this play is that the turn card is scary to almost everything the big blind could hold. The queen is top card so any pair of tens, eights, or fives has to be worried. And the third diamond is going to be scary to anybody not holding the completed flush. So, the turn raise by the button freezes the big blind and forces a tricky choice.

• 3-bet with T8?
• Call with KT?
• Call with T9?
• Call with 87?

The big blind is going to make some mistakes in this precarious position. Frequently, a player will fold a hand such as T9, figuring the (3) Jack outs are no good. Some will even fold KT without a diamond. With hands such as the 87 or 65, the odds of improving to two pair or three of a kind is 5:39, about 1:8. With 1:7.25 odds, it would not be much of a mistake for the 87 or 65 to call, if they knew the two pair would be good. So, the button wouldn't mind those hands folding either.

If the big blind holds a small diamond and knew the flush would be good if a fourth diamond fell, it would always have sufficient odds to call. So, hands such as 8d6c have more than enough odds to call; yet, many big blind players will fold that 8d6c against a turn raise because the turn raise shows strength and the big blind cannot know the flush would be good.

The turn raise solves our button's problem on the river as well. If any kind of scare card arrives, the button can simply check down on the end, which was our intention from the beginning. If another ten or a non-diamond nine falls on the river, the JT might bet again, earning an extra bet with trips or a straight. So, let's do a quick summary:

• Better hands may often fold to a turn raise, especially if the turn card is scary.
• Smaller pairs will often make bad folds when there were sufficient odds to call.
• Drawing hands will pay the maximum on the turn and lose a big bet whenever the draw fails to hit.
• Hands that were ahead on the turn (such as KT in the example above) will win no extra money when the JT fails to improve (JT loses 1 big bet on the turn and the river if it just calls; it loses 2 big bets on the turn when employing the turn raise. No gain/loss.)
• Hands that were ahead on the turn often lose an extra bet when the JT improves on the river.

Combined, that makes the turn raise a very powerful play. Against most opponents, it's a no-lose proposition. But there are some weaknesses to the play, just like any other.

Weaknesses and Defense of the Turn Raise
First of all, to set up the play I am describing, it is assumed that the button is already raising on the turn with their most powerful hands. Raising the turn is fairly normal with strong hands due to the double bets on fourth street. But if you're the type of player who always waits to the river or goes to war on the flop, then the "turn raise" will become transparent to observant players.

Secondly, the "turn raise" can be defended by a strong, aggressive player who will 3-bet the turn. Let's look at our example below to illustrate the button's dilemma against a 3-bet.

Example 3. $10/20. $85 in pot. Button holds JhTh.
The BB bets the turn. The Button raises and the BB reraises. $205 in pot.
Board 5d Td 8c Qd.

What could a reraise mean? Usually, it means a superior hand such as a completed flush, straight, or set. The button has an easy fold. After all, JhTh likely has between 3 and 0 outs. With 10.25:1 odds, a call would require at least 4 clean outs. But what if the big blind is a hyperaggressive maniac who is just as likely to have Ad9h, AhQh, 9d9h, or even less? Suddenly the button with JhTh will often have more than 4 outs or may even be ahead. The "turn raise" is not as effective against a hyperaggressive player. Instead, the simple calldown approach may be best, especially if the hyperaggressive big blind will continue all bluffs.

Also, the turn card must be dangerous in some way for the "turn raise" to be effective against a good opponent.

Example 4. $10/20. $85 in pot. Button holds JhTh.
The BB bets the turn. The Button raises. $145 in pot (BB must call $20)
Board 5d Td 8c 2h.

With a complete blank on the turn, many of the natural advantages of the "turn raise" are lost. Most players in the big blind will know the turn card did not assist anybody. So, good players will look at their T8, 55, AT, KT, QT, AA, KK, or QQ, and they will reraise, easily reading the button's raise on the turn for what it is. The 3-bet on the turn is a pretty clear indicator that the button is behind, and the number of outs afforded to the JhTh is questionable, so probably the button will fold (correctly). Therefore, the JhTh will have lost opportunities to win the whole pot when a Jack or Ten do give the button a winning hand versus one pair or a smaller two pair.

It should be noted that the JhTh has few or zero outs against these strong holdings, and therefore the proper play (if the button knew how formidable the big blind's hand was) would be to simply fold the turn, but we're assuming that folding with top pair was never seriously considered (because the button does not know how strong the big blind is). Instead, our options are: Call 2 big bets with the "calldown" approach or Raise to 2 big bets immediately on the turn. The button does not save money either way when losing.

In other words, the weak turn card has several impacts.

• Hands such as KT will not fold and may even reraise.
• Smaller pairs and draws are far less likely to fold improperly, since their outs will all appear clean.
• The JT will lose some opportunities to suckout and win the whole pot.

Obviously, not all turn cards are created equal, especially when we must consider the best time to utilize the "turn raise." A raise might still be correct on the turn with a blank turn card, but much more rarely and for different reasons than we are discussing today.

A final defense to the "turn raise" that can be employed by solid players in the big blind is to call the raise on the turn and immediately follow with a bet on the river. In fact, against a player who uses the "turn raise" strategy too much, it can be profitable for the big blind to bluff on the river when any scare card falls. If the button is against such a solid opponent capable of making this sort of bluff or value bet on the river, I have two bits of advice. First, don't use the "turn raise" nearly as often. Second, reconsider the table you're playing and look for greener pastures.

The Turn Raise vs. The Semibluff Raise
Let's look at one final example, to contrast a semibluff raise with the "turn raise" maneuver I have been describing.

Example 5. $10/20. $85 in pot. Button holds KdJh.
The BB bets the turn. The Button raises. $145 in pot (BB must call $20)
Board 5d Td 8c Qd.

If the button raises here, it is for a wholly different reason than before. It's important to realize that this example is not the same as the ones above because the straight draw and flush draw combined does not make this a medium strength hand on the turn. It is King-high. With the 2nd nut flush draw and a straight draw to boot, the button holds a powerful semibluffing hand. Against almost all opponents, a raise would be in order. However, there are two opponents where it would not be correct: hyperaggressive maniacs and loose callers. The hyperaggressive opponent creates the same problem we discussed above. The loose caller will not fold on the turn to make the bluff profitable but will still 3-bet with a made flush (and maybe other hands such as a set or top two pair). Why risk putting in another 2 big bets before the river? Even with 15 outs, the KJ will still only win 34% of the time.

I hope you find the "turn raise" useful. It's a powerful ploy that can be managed in more than just shorthanded games. Against the appropriate opponents, this "expert play" can be lethal.

If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for another topic, please email me at Jason@PokerPages.com. Until the next article, good luck!