I’d like to dissect the phrase “if you’re not raising, you should be folding”, especially as it pertains to making decisions on the River. Many experts and pseudo-experts alike will swear by the strategy that calling is the wrong move at any point during a hand, but especially here – saying if you have the best hand, you should raise, and if you have the worst, it’s time to fold.
Perhaps, in theory, there’s some validity to this. However, what contributes to this being a ridiculous oversimplification of even basic strategy is that contrary to what many of you might believe, you just aren’t going to know where your hand stacks up against the other players, even after the River. Yes, you’re going to put your opponents on a range, but it’s not always that simple.
What if your hand falls right into the middle of an opponent’s range? Are you to raise against a hand that might be stronger when you’re not trying to bluff? That easily could cause an undesired result. And certainly one wouldn’t advocate for folding a strong hand given the possibility that it’s the best on the table? What if you have a top pair, the board is total rags, 9, 7, 3, 2, J all-off suit except for two of the same. The opponents checked through the flop, turn and river. He might very well be sitting with a hidden two-pair. There’s no possibility of a flush or straight on the table, and you have top two-pair. If you raise here, the two-pair will call and you’ll lose. If you check, you allow some uncertainty to be answered by your opponents actions. You tell me which is the smarter play knowing your opponent isn’t going to fold with two-pair, because he has you on a range, as well.
But even aside from that extreme situation, we’re not all extremely talented at reading other people, and that’s going to lead to times when you just don’t know where you stand. If you had a hand worth playing through to the River, it might just be good enough to call a mid-size bet and take your chances.
These are the times you don’t want to re-raise, since your hand can easily be beaten, but you’re not going to just lay down because there’s a good chance your hand is a winner. It is not as black and white as best and worst every time.
Finally, if you think your UB.com opponent is bluffing, and you throw out another raise, if he really is bluffing, he’s going to fold anyway. The only time this makes sense is if you’re trying to power him out with a bluff yourself. Otherwise, it’s needless risk for no more reward.