One mistake that many newer players, and even some intermediate players, make when they first start playing tournament poker is failing to recognize what boards people are unlikely to fold on.
A good example is when you’re deep in the tournament, with around 30 to 50 big blinds, and you’re approaching the money bubble, just as the rebuy period has ended.
Let’s say you raise from the button, and the big blind calls. The board comes with something like [low card] or [low card]—a bunch of low cards. The big blind checks to you, you bet, and the big blind calls.
Many intermediate players here would give up on the turn, but that’s a mistake. They don’t understand that many low-stakes and even middle-stakes players do not believe that you have hit anything on that board most of the time. They see a low card type of board and assume you’re not opening with low cards.
Therefore, they call to see if you will check the turn. If you check the turn, they will likely lead out on the river, believing they can get you to fold most of your hands and pick up the pot.
However, if you fire the turn instead, they will likely think, “Okay, okay. I guess you do have it this time.” Then, they’ll likely let their hand go.
In these situations, the turn bet is actually the true continuation bet. The flop bet is more of a formality—your opponent likely isn’t taking it seriously. As a result, you shouldn’t give them credit for having a real hand. By betting the turn, you’re putting pressure on them and forcing them to make a decision with a weaker hand, giving you a much better chance of taking down the pot.
