The River Min-Raise

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The river value min-raise is a play I use with some frequency. I most typically try it when I’m heads-up with position on the river, and I have a hand I was planning to bet for value if checked to. But instead of checking, my opponent bets. And, given the way the hand has played, I think my opponent’s range consists of a number of relatively weak made hands that he could be betting for value or making a blocking bet with. Here’s an example from a hand I played a few months back:

It’s a 5-handed online $0.50-$1 game. I have a $100 stack, and everyone has me covered. I’m first to act and raise to $3.50 with K Q . Only the small blind calls, making a pot of $8.

The flop is Q 5 3 . The small blind checks, and I bet $8. The small blind calls.

The turn is the 8 . The small blind checks, and I check.

The river is the 4 . The small blind bets $10, into the $24 pot, and I min-raise to $20.

The small blind calls and shows J J . My queens are good.

My opponent is a regular in the game and a tight, aggressive player. After cold-calling preflop in the small blind and check-calling this ragged flop, I thought unimproved pocket pairs would represent a large portion of my opponent’s range on the turn. Since he’s a tight player, I wouldn’t expect him to call with many hands containing a five or a trey. I also wouldn’t expect him to call preflop with hands containing a queen weaker than about Q-J suited. And no flush draws or high straight draws are possible on this flop. Thus, after calling preflop and on the flop, I expect him frequently to hold a pocket pair.

I didn’t think I could get him to pay off three streets with a pocket pair smaller than queens (or with most of the rest of his range that I’m ahead of), so I figured I’d check it back on the turn and represent missed big cards like A-J. Then I could go for some value on the river.

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