The turn is the third betting round in no limit holdem, and it is also called third street. The bets are usually larger here if there has been bets both preflop and on the flop. When a player is betting the turn it is usually an indication that he has a strong hand. Most players give up on the turn if they were bluffing on the flop. Learning to play the turn well takes a lot of experience, but here are some basic tips to get you started

  • Bet the turn if you were bluffing on the flop and you happen to improve. Say you bet the flop with just ace high and now you happen to get a flush or straight draw on the turn, that means you have 4 cards to a flush or straight. Now you can bet a can, if they happen to call you, you might get lucky and hit your flush on the river. This is called semibluffing.
  • Bet top pair good kicker or better on the turn, check with middle pair and weak top pairs for pot control. That means you keep betting your good hands for value to make the most money possible out of them.
  • If you get raised when you bet on the turn, fold any hand which is not 2 pair or better, unless you are very sure your opponent is bluffing. A turn raise is very strong, so top pair is usually not the best hand if anyone raises your turn bet.
  • Bet less often when the third card to a flush lands on the turn, be also more likely to fold your weak hands when your opponent bets then. Your opponent may very well have a flush.

Move on to step 11 and river play.