When you have a big hand in poker the goal is to make as much money as you possibly can. There are not that many instances when you can sit back and be completely relaxed knowing you have the best poker hand. It is not that often that you know for sure you have the best hand and have no other hands to worry about. When these instances arrive, it is crucial to get paid off. You cannot afford to miss opportunities like this. If you are going to get paid off, you must be sure that your opponent does not believe that you have a monster hand. Getting paid off on the river starts with the flop.

Knowing your Opponents

There is no set way to get paid off on the river. Unfortunately poker is not that easy. If it was, then everybody would just read these guides and everybody would be equally skilled at the game of poker. The first thing you have to do is figure your opponents out. If you have done that part of your job, then you should know who you are dealing with. When it comes time to getting paid off you are probably going to be in the hand with 1 or 2 other opponents. You have to know how they play poker and take advantage of how they play. If you are playing against a smart, solid poker player then slow playing your monster might not work.

Even though you may not be worried about losing the hand, you still need to know what your opponent has in his or her hand. That will help a lot with getting paid off. You want to bet as much as they will call. In order to make that happen you have to understand what they are trying to do. If you think they have nothing, then give them a chance to bluff at you. If you think they have a great hand (not as good as yours), then give them a little action and give them a chance to raise you to see where they are at.

Long Term Gains

Sometimes in poker you have to make sacrifices for long term gains. It is not uncommon for players to make bad calls on the river just to see what their opponent is holding. That way they can get some information on how different hands are played by that opponent. Another thing that is important is that you take the time and effort to study each opponent. Instead of day dreaming or messing with your iPod between hands, watch everyone like a hawk. That is the only way you will be able to know your opponents, and how they play poker. Once you figure each opponent out, you will increase your chances of getting paid off on the river by a lot.

When to Slow Play

Slow playing cards is only smart when you are playing against a not so smart player or when you have the nuts right on the flop. For example if you flop quads, then you want to slow play and give your opponents a chance to catch a hand they will not be able to fold on the river. That way they can catch up with you (or so they think) and you can get paid off. Slow playing can work great some times, but most good player will see it when you make that big bet on the river.

The key to getting paid off on the river is to make your opponents believe they have the best hand. There is no direct way to explain how to do this. That is as much advice as you will find. The rest is all in your hands while you are sitting down at that table with your opponent. You have to have good instincts and you must put your opponents on very specific hands while playing cards. That is how you will get paid off on the river.