Turn What Does It Mean in Poker? The turn is fourth street, or the fourth card dealt to the board in Hold’em and Omaha. For example, on a board of A♣2♥7♦9♠T♦, the 9♠ is the turn. The turn is a much forgotten about betting round that does not get nearly enough as much attention as it should. Most strategy articles seem to focus on playing the flop and river well, but leave out the turn and almost consider it to be a bridge between two more important streets. However, turn strategy is actually a key part of any poker hand, as it is the point where the pot has usually grown to such a point from the preflop and flop betting.

• Betting Out Of Turn In Poker
• Turn In Poker
• Turn Order In Poker

Once the flop is delivered you know 71 percent of your final hand. This lesson will focus on the turn, which produces 86 percent of your hand. Many poker pundits express the belief that the turn is the most difficult street to play in hold’em – so let’s explore some differences in how one might approach this street for improved results.

The turn card normally defines the hand. It is the card that makes most draws or the price to venture forth can become very expensive. While the turn can become tricky, especially in no-limit, if you are in with a quality holding it shouldn’t be that difficult unless the turn card adds a new dimension such as three suiting or three straightening the board. If you’re still in post flop you really need to have something – even if that something is just a plan.

The following are several elements that should command your attention on the turn.

Re-Assess Your Table Image

This is a good time to re-assess what you believe to be your current table image. If you have been playing a tight-aggressive game and have only shown solid hand values when called down, then if you’re being called by an equally solid player – it’s reasonable to put him on more than just air. Here is an example:

You limp from early position with and the flop comes . You make a semi-bluff bet with second pair and an opponent smooth calls. Now that same opponent bets into you on the turn. The most prudent course of action is to give that opponent credit for a better hand than pocket tens and fold. While some may opine that this is too tight a way to play, one should have top pair or better by the turn or at least a viable draw or they should probably be checking and folding.

While playing in this manner should keep you out of trouble, you need to be aware that your more observant opponents will see right through this and take advantage of your one dimensional play. In order to thwart this type of predatory behaviour you need to mix in some check raises so that your checks do not indicate that a bet on their part will automatically move you off your hand. Predictability is the sign of a weak player.

Drawing Hands

There are both the defensive and offensive aspects of drawing hands which simply means – are you on a draw or is your opponent? When you believe you currently have the best hand but believe your opponent is on a draw with one card to come, you need to make a bet. You should bet on the turn so as not to allow your opponent to draw for free. Obviously you need to make it mathematically incorrect for him to draw. Depending on what you perceive his draw to be, he has as few as four outs (inside straight draw) up to as many as fifteen outs (flush and open ended straight draw).

Not to bet on the turn is incorrect for two reasons – first, as mentioned, you should not allow him to draw for free and secondly, if you check now and the draw doesn’t come in you will not make any money by betting the river as he will probably muck his busted draw. So, bet to make your money now and hope the draw doesn’t arrive.

What if you are the one on the draw? If you’re getting the right price for your draw then you should obviously proceed. If you called on the flop with a drawing hand but missed on the turn then you’re probably facing a bet where the odds have gone up significantly. This is what tends to happen. If your opponent suspects you for a draw then there’s a good chance he’s going to make you pay for it. Many poker players make the mistake of calling on the flop by using the odds to make their draws with two cards to come, then fold to a big bet on the turn. If you find yourself in such situations with regularity then start avoiding this conundrum on the turn by using the odds for one card to come on the flop.

If you’re facing a wager that doesn’t supply you with the correct pot odds to call, then implied odds can sometimes be taken into consideration. The implied odds of a straight draw is usually higher than the implied odds of a flush draw. This is because many players freeze up when a third suited card lands on the board. A double belly buster straight draw has the highest implied odds due to its stealth nature. Since it is not an obvious draw but still has eight outs one should normally go to the river, especially if the board is not paired or triple suited.

Scare Cards

A scare card is one you don’t normally want to see. If there were two hearts on the flop and you have two black hole cards you certainly do not want to see another heart on the turn. But what if you do? Well, now is the time to put the knowledge you’ve accumulated about your opponents to work. If an opponent now bets into two or more players, then you should probably fold as he would realize it’s too likely someone will call so he must have a real hand. If on the other hand this opponent is known to be tricky, loose or generally enamoured with bluffing then a call or even a raise could be in order.

Also, aside from player tendencies always be aware of the odds the pot is offering to help guide your decision. Personally, I would rather use a scare card to my own advantage than be put on the defensive. Remember this – if the card in question is scary looking to you it may well be downright intimidating to your opponent.

Floating the flop

To float the flop is to call a continuation bet with a weak hand in position with the intent of pushing your opponent off his hand on the turn. This strategy is based upon the knowledge that most pre-flop hands do not improve on the flop. Many times after showing pre-flop aggression, players feel compelled to follow up with a continuation bet in hopes of taking the pot down. When that continuation bet is met with a flat call it signals to the better that his opponent may well have a hand worth an investment. When due to that concern the turn is checked the “floater” then bets and takes down the pot.

The float play is a successful strategy that works due to the fact that most holdings do not connect with the flop and epitomizes the saying that top flight players tend to play their opponents, not their cards. While there are some turn cards that should cause you to abandon the play, don’t get scared when it’s time to act. Of course, there is the inherent risk of running into a strong starting hand or a ragged flop which was custom made for a hand. However, poker is full of risks and while the meek may well inherit the earth they don’t make very good poker players.

Betting Out Of Turn In Poker

Firing the Second Barrel

Firing the second barrel is the most effective way to thwart an opponent who was floating the flop. Certainly having your continuation bet called will give you pause and make you wonder what your opponent is holding. The strategy of the float relies upon this concern and many players then hesitate to bet again or fire the second barrel. If you put yourself in the floater’s shoes, firing the second barrel is enough to make him give up his plan of pushing you off your hand with a bet. Firing the second barrel is normally the antidote to the float. Normally is not totally as, mentioned above, you could be stepping into a slow play trap but as we all know there are no money back guarantees in poker.

Both floating the flop and firing the second barrel should not be done blindly and as your default move. They should be used when supported by knowledge of your opponent’s tendencies for best results.

Conclusion

If you find yourself somewhat stranded on the turn without much of a hand you are probably playing “wish poker” which is to say, too loose. Many times after an aggressive pre-flop betting round and more betting on the flop players put the brakes on at the turn when their optimism wanes. If you’re in position, this can be an excellent time to pick up the pot with a well timed bet.

As in all of poker, it is essential to gain an understanding of how your opponents play the game. Does your opponent(s) only enter the fray with quality hands or do they enjoy being aggressive with high cards and then commit themselves to remain aggressive right through to the river?

The turn may well have been given its name because at this juncture in the hand a player’s optimism can TURN into the stark reality that he is bringing up the rear. The turn becomes decision time. Generally if you’re in on the turn you’ve punched your through ticket to play the river. A busted draw would be the exception.

In closing I would like to share one of my favorite poker expressions which may sum up how to address decision making at this critical stage of the hand… when in doubt, get out! A dollar saved is a dollar earned.

By Tom 'TIME' Leonard

Tom has been writing about poker since 1994 and has played across the USA for over 40 years, playing every game in almost every card room in Atlantic City, California and Las Vegas.

Every hand that gets dealt at Ignition Casino has four possible phases known as streets: pre-flop, flop, turn, and river. Pre-flop is the most important of these streets to get right – the decisions you make here will have an increasingly large impact on later streets, and you might even win the pot before any community cards are dealt. Having said that, pre-flop play isn’t the most complicated part of a real money online poker game.

For that matter, playing the flop can be boiled down to some simple concepts that will help you get the most value when you play online poker for real money. It’s the turn and river in a poker hand where things get dicey. The more streets you travel down, the more money gets put in the pot, and the trickier the hand becomes. But with a little preparation and practice, you can start playing the turn and river like a boss. This guide will help you navigate those streets from beginning to end.

Betting Pre-Flop

Turn In Poker

Before we get to those later streets, let’s take a moment to emphasize the importance of getting things right with your pre-flop betting strategy. When you decide what to do with your two (or four) hole cards, you’re setting up a chain of events that could lead to success or failure, and that end result could be big or small in stature – all depending on what you and your opponents do before the flop.

The best way to increase your chances of success on the turn and river is to use a solid starting range of opening hands pre-flop. By playing only your best hands from early position, then widening your range as you open from later positions, you make it less likely that you’ll dig yourself into a hole that you can’t get out of. Make pre-flop play the focus of your online poker strategy before you graduate to later streets.

How to Play the Flop

Let’s also take a quick look at the flop, since it is the next street you’ll have to navigate. When those three community cards come out, take a moment to assess the strength of your hand, whether you’re in position or out of position, and how many players are involved. You’ll want to have a basic go-to strategy for which moves to make (bet, raise, check, call or fold) depending on these three factors. Ideally, you’ll adjust this strategy to take into account the playing style of your opponents. Having a plan like this is an essential part of any good real money poker strategy.

If you’re in a relatively easy game with a lot of multi-way hands, just “bet your hand” for value and don’t worry too much about making fancy plays. But if you’re playing in a reasonably tough game, most of the hands you’ll get into should be against a single opponent, and those are the hands where strategy will be the most useful. Generally speaking, when you’re in position – as you should be more often when you use a good pre-flop strategy – you’ll want to bet or raise with your best hands and your best bluffs, call with your marginal made hands (along with some draws where appropriate), and check back or fold the rest. This will put you in the best shape possible for the next streets.

Playing the flop out of position is trickier. If you have a really strong hand, there will be times when you’ll want to check-raise or even check-call instead of leading out, so you don’t get your opponent to fold too soon. You’ll also be check-calling with a lot of medium-strength hands that you would have otherwise bet in position. And you won’t have the luxury of checking back weak hands; if your opponent bets after you check, your best option will usually be to fold. This is important to note, because it will change what kind of cards you might have in your range once the turn comes.

Turn Order In Poker

How to Play the River

Now we’ve reached arguably the most difficult street in online poker. Your approach pre-flop and on the flop should naturally lead you to make the right play on the turn. If you were the aggressor on the flop and the turn card is a blank, you can usually keep firing away whether you have a made hand or not, but if it’s a scare card, consider making a smaller bet when you double-barrel, or even check back if you’re in position and you’d rather take the free card.

Playing the turn when your opponent is the aggressor is where the pros separate themselves from the Joes. You can fold, call or raise; people generally don’t bluff-raise enough in this situation, by the way. If a scare card comes on the turn and you’ve got a strong draw, don’t be afraid to play it quickly. Your opponent might fold, but if he calls, you still might end up with the best hand on the river.

How to Play the Turn

When you’re on the river, all five community cards have been dealt, so there’s no more drawing to do – you’ve either made a hand or you haven’t. This makes the river easier to figure out than the turn, even if the risk is greater and your heart might be pounding. In general, you want to bluff less often on the river than you do on the turn, and less on the turn than the flop. And the stronger your hand is, the bigger you want to bet.

That’s especially true if you’re the one acting first on the river. What if you’re in position? If you’ve been the aggressor and your opponent checks, the same general concept applies, but if you’re the one calling down and your opponent fires again on the river, now you’ve got a choice to make. Pot odds will play a role; if your opponent bets small, you can call the river with a wider range of hands, since the risk is lower. If he bets big, you’ll need one of your stronger bluff-catchers to call with.

You could also raise the river, of course. Again, this play doesn’t get used nearly often enough, because people are risk-averse and don’t bluff-raise as often as the math suggests. But in certain situations, you can get your opponents to bet-fold the river. If you suspect they have a marginal made hand, and that fifth community card is a scare card that might have completed your straight or flush, this could be a good time to bluff-raise – especially if you have cards in your hand that block your opponent from holding the nuts. Just make sure you size your bluff the same as you would if you actually had that monster hand.

Poker Bad Beats

Before we wrap up, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the power of bad beats. Fortunes can change dramatically on both the turn and river; you can have a hand that’s strong on the flop, then the turn is dealt and you suddenly find yourself in a bad spot – maybe you had a made straight when the first three cards came out, but an unlikely turn card delivers a possible flush or full house to your opponent.

If you’re going to play poker online, tips won’t come any more valuable than this: The only way to inoculate yourself from getting tilted by bad beats is to realize that each street is a single phase of the hand with its own set of decisions, however related they may be. Don’t start dreaming about the pot you’re going to win when you get a strong hand; be prepared to change tack for every possible turn and river card that comes out. And you never know, what looks like a bad beat on the turn can swing back in your favor on the river. Play poker online at Ignition Poker right now and show us your new turn and river skills.