Calls and Semi-Bluffs

When you’re on a drawing hand, you must decide how to play it on the turn and the river. You can check and call to see more cards as cheaply as possible, or you can make bets in order to build the pot and get paid off if you make your draw. The correct strategy depends on the strength of your draw, as well as other factors.

Three Decision Factors

Betting or check-raising the flop with a drawing hand is called a semi-bluff. Although you do not have a made hand, you’re not entirely bluffing, since you have outs to the best hand. There are three factors to consider when deciding how to play a draw on the flop:

Preflop Action
Number of Opponents
Strength of your Draw

Pre-Flop Action

First of all, think about the pre-flop action. If you were the initial raiser and flop a strong draw, maintain your aggression and make a continuation bet. Let’s say you opened for a raise from the cutoff with [9s][Ts], the button called and the flop was [Kh][8d][7s]. It’s not a bad idea at all to lead out on this flop, since it gives you two ways to win--you’ll win if your opponent folds and even if he calls, you can still win by hitting one of your outs.

Number of Opponents

Also consider how many players are in the pot when deciding whether to bet a drawing hand. With a lone opponent, you are far less likely to be up against a hand that caught a piece of the flop than if you face multiple opponents.

Imagine that after opening [Jd][Td] from the button, you were called by both blinds and saw a [Ad][9c][8c] flop. The small blind checks and the big blind bets. A call might be your best play here. Your hand is too strong to fold but not quite strong enough to raise, especially with another player left to act.

If the small blind calls behind you, you’ve built a nice pot for yourself if you do end up hitting one of your outs. If the small blind folds, you get to play the rest of the pot heads-up from position. And if the small blind check-raises, well, you’re probably in a bit of trouble.

Strength of your Draw

If you’re in a multi-way pot and flop a strong combo draw from position, raising on the flop is a good play for three reasons (i) you have a lot of equity, even against made hands and (ii) it can narrow the field, and (iii) you can potentially pick up a free card if your opponents check to you on the turn.

For example, with [Ah][Qh] on a [Th][6c][3h] flop, raising from position could not only fold out some weaker made hands, but lead your opponents to check to you on the turn. If you make your hand, you can bet it for value and if you miss, you have two options—firing another bullet and continuing to build the pot or checking behind and taking a free card.