Bluff or semi bluff

Staying the Aggressor with Strong Hands

When acting early, generally continue to bet when you are unsure that an opponent will bet and giving a free card would be dangerous;
When acting early against several opponents with a large pot you might consider checking, hoping that a late position opponent will bet so that you can check-raise to drive out your remaining opponents.
If a free card would not be too dangerous, a cheek-raise can sometimes be a good strategy to gain extra bets against your opponents.
Almost always bet when acting last and your opponents check (see exceptions below).
When you are worried that an opponent may have hit a draw and he checks, tend to check hands with outs and bet hands with few or no outs.
Consider checking in late position when you are relatively confident that your opponents will fold, the risk of a free card hurting you is minimal, and the pot is relatively small.

Staying the Aggressor with Weak Hands

Generally only consider a semi-bluff against one or two opponents. A semi- bluff is rarely successful against three or more opponents on the turn.
The type of board, along with the position and previous betting of your opponents, should give an indication of the type of hand you are against to help determine whether a bluff can be successful.
Avoid bluffing a lot against weak opponents.
Acting early can sometimes communicate a strong hand by your willingness to bet into one or two opponents.
When acting late and your opponents check to you, a bet might win the pot since your opponents have indicated weakness

Betting the Turn

When acting first with a strong hand, tend to check-raise if there is a good chance that an opponent will bet. Tend to bet out when a free card can be dangerous.
If you are acting behind your opponents and it is cheeked to you. it is almost mandatory to bet a strong hand.
Sometimes you might bet the turn as a bluff or semi-bluff. These generally are more successful when an opponent suddenly indicates weakness by checking, or a scare card comes.

Raising the Turn

Calling Bets

The preferred strategy in poker is generally to raise or to fold, but there are times when calling is correct, especially with your strong draws and little chance of winning the pot on a semi-bluff raise.
You rarely are getting good odds to draw on the turn, except for the premium draws to flushes and open-ended straights. Exceptions to this are when the pot is very large.
Whenever an opponent bets and you are unsure whether or not you hold the best hand, there are four considerations in your decision to call or fold, assuming you have determined that raising is not a good option:

The probability that you currently have the best hand

The probability that your hand will improve to the best hand

The probability that your opponent will improve to the best hand if you currently have the best hand

The pot odds

Calling Raises

Most opponents who raise the turn almost always have at least top pair with a good kicker, and they often have two pair or better; there fore, you should often fold pairs when raised on the turn.
In tight aggressive games, some opponents will raise the turn on a semi- bluff, especially in heads-up situations, so you sometimes need to call with a mediocre holding such as a pair depending on the circumstances.
There are two situations when folding to raises on the turn with a mediocre holding such as top pair is relatively straightforward:

Your opponent is the type who never raises the turn on a bluff or semi- bluff.

An opponent has raised after two players have already called the turn.

Poker Concepts