Tip # 43 of 52, Check with a toss-up hand if you are last to act.

One of the contributing factors to the definition of a toss-up hand is that one or more of your opponents either had a made hand or were drawing to beat you. In the case of their having a made hand, it is likely that you are beaten.

When you are in last position and the action has been checked to you, it is incorrect to bet if you feel your chance of holding the best hand is only 50 percent. The reason for this is that of the hands you can beat, a good number of them will be unable to call if you bet. A busted straight or flush draw can't call, so you cannot win any additional bets from them. However, the 50 percent of the time you are beat, you can be quite certain that you will be called. So, there is little or no value in betting.

For a bet to be correct, or at least a break-even proposition, the likelihood that you will be called by hands you can beat compared to those that are better than yours must be about equal. This is not the case if you hold a toss-up hand, since a high percentage of the time the reason you win in those situations is that your opponents missed whatever hands they were drawing at. Don't bet the river for value in last position unless there is at least a 50 percent you will win the pot if you are called. If this is not the case, then check and hope for the best.