Lesson overview
Thin River Value
Name the worse calls before you bet
Read this introduction, then sign in to continue the full lesson and exercises.
Inside the full lesson
Can checking a likely winner leave money behind?
In the full lesson, you work through this scenario with interactive examples.
Your top pair is probably ahead. Switch the river bet size and watch which worse hands still call—and whether betting earns more than checking.
What you’ll learn
- Compare betting with checking
- Count worse calls at the chosen size
- Prepare a response to river raises
From the full lesson
Name the hands that pay this size
Referenced activities and other examples are available in the full lesson after sign-in.
List worse hands that plausibly took the earlier actions, remove blocked combinations, then weight how often they call your proposed size. Compare those calls with better calls. “I am probably ahead” describes the whole range, not the calling range. Try a smaller size only if it actually keeps enough weaker hands involved.
From the full lesson
Plan the raise before betting
Referenced activities and other examples are available in the full lesson after sign-in.
The visual assumes no raises and an immediate showdown after checking. Real opponents can raise, and checking out of position can induce a bet. Rebuild the range and price if raised; your original value bet does not obligate a call. Test close bets against a tighter worse-calling range so a fragile assumption does not masquerade as clear value.
Continue the full lesson
Sign in for the full lesson, interactive exercises and saved progress. Your learning path unlocks lessons as you progress.