Lesson
Never Check a Zero-Equity Hand: The River Bluffing Threshold
River Bluffing · advanced · 12 min
Tyler Forrester reviews missed river bluff opportunities where Eric checked back hands with little or no showdown value after calling an earlier street. The lesson explains why these delayed river bluffs can be worth 10-25 big blinds, how threshold bluffs compare to zero-equity hands, and how to choose bluff sizing by matching the value region.
Key takeaways
- When you reach the river after calling a previous-street bet with little or no showdown value, betting is often much better than checking.
- Bottom-of-range missed draws, such as very low missed flush draws, should be bluffed because checking realizes nearly zero equity.
- If the turn checks through after you called the flop, prioritize river bluffs with hands that cannot win at showdown.
- Compare a zero-equity hand to the threshold bluff: if the threshold hand profits by betting, the zero-equity hand with similar blockers should also profit by betting but loses more by checking.
- Use the same sizing you would use with your value hands: block bet with bluffs when your value region block bets, bet three-quarters pot when value does, and overbet when value overbets.