DECISION POINT: In a Cash Game, it folds to a Middle Position player who calls. It folds to you and you raise with T♣T♠. The Cutoff and Button call. The Small Blind folds, and the Big Blind calls. The Flop comes 8♦7♠3♠ and gets checked around. The Turn is the 9♣. The Big Blind checks and you bet. The Cutoff calls, the Button folds, and the Big Blind calls. The River is the J♠. The Big Blind checks. Action is on you, what do you do here?

PRO ANSWER: After checking the flop in this 4 way pot, you can bet on the turn for value to deny your opponents a free card and to create fold equity. All are valid reasons to bet on the turn.

However, given that you got called in 2 spots with a flush draw present on the turn, you should not value bet your straight on the river when the flush hits. A river bet in this case will often only get called by spade flushes, so you are value betting against yourself when you bet the river.

You are likely to have the best hand some of time, in which case the hand will often get checked down and you win at showdown a fair portion of the time after you check the river.

There could be an argument for betting small and folding to a raise, which might be profitable against certain passive opponents who call too wide on the river, but as a standard you should simply check on this river card.

When considering a value bet on the river, remember to take into account your opponent’s potential calling range of that bet. Do not simply think “I may have the best hand” and bet. There must be worse hands in your opponent’s calling range for a value bet to profitable.

Checking is the best play.