Most write-ups and articles on poker focus on appropriate strategy on pre-flops, flops and turns, mainly because the usual aim is to force the other players to fold before the river.

At the river, everything is on the line and – as sometimes said – it’s time to “put up or shut up.” It may not end in a showdown where your pocket cards are turned up on the table, but it IS a “showdown” in the sense that there only a few players left in the game: those still confident in their cards; those waiting for an out; and perhaps those on the verge of a tilt and just playing on sheer guts.

When you get to the river, you need to remember two things: your opponents are unlikely to fold at this late a stage and you must balance probable winnings over probable losses when you reach the showdown:

Playing the Big Draws

If the river completes your drawing hand (say, with Ace high), then it’s clear that you have a wonderful hand so you should try to maximize your anticipated winnings by betting and then raising again.

The exception to the rule is when you’re out of position and you know there’s a chance that someone may – just MAY - have a better hand. Let’s say the river gives you a low flush – good hand, but chances are that your opponent may be holding a flush with a high kicker (which will make things bad for you), or that your opponent has been playing aggressive all throughout and you’re not sure if he’s trying to bluff YOU.

In such a situation, a check-raise may be the best approach. It gives you some breathing space to watch the play and identify the odds; one last chance to bail out if the situation is uncomfortable for you.

Check raising with a big draw is a wonderful opportunity to reel in aggressive players to contribute more to the pot. When you check at that late a time, you may be able to deceive your opponents into thinking that you have botched your hand with the river. This will encourage aggressive players to bet and raise in turn.

When this happens, go ahead and raise – the odds are on your side and you’ll walk off with the pot. If they still raise – take a deep breath and meet them. They’re likely bluffing whereas you certainly have a good hand. Whatever happens, this will give you an insight into your opponent’s mindset – if he were only bluffing, you could use this to your advantage by going on the offensive; if he were not bluffing, then you know what to watch out for on the next hand.

River plays are often where the pressure mounts – play it cool, play it calm and you’ll walk away the victor more often than not.