Evaluating the River for Successful Draws
Each poker hand is a story. The most common scenario in these stories is that one player has a made hand and one has a hand that is trying to catch up to that hand, to overtake it. Often the question at the end of the story, on the river, then, is which hand won the race. Did the pocket aces survive against the draws, or did the draws complete and defeat the prior favorite?
When looking at the river, then, if you are the one with the made hand, it is important to compare the betting or calling story of your poker online opponent with whether the board says they got where they wanted to go. They may have a made also, that beats your made hand, without you knowing you were drawing, but being able to limit the range of possibilities of what an opponent has based on public cards is important.
So, did the river complete a straight? Did it complete a flush? Is it an overcard? Was your opponent betting and representing a hand before the completing cards came, and now is he scared? Or was he calling you down and is suddenly now betting? Is it more likely a bluff, or that’s he caught? All of these factors make the river a matter of judging how your online poker hand compare to what it once was, and to the arc of your opponent’s story.
