Constantly losing on the river

iblackerj · Jan 20, 2026

I love poker but almost lose at river? Any advise guys

veryluckyfish7k · Jan 20, 2026

The river is unpredictable even 2 outs can hit. Even high-stakes pros go through brutal bad runs.
Advice: focus on making correct decisions, not short-term results, and keep your discipline.

Kasztor007 · Jan 20, 2026

The river hurts everyone 😅 That’s poker.
Losing there doesn’t always mean you played badly often it’s just variance. Focus on making good decisions before the river: proper bet sizing, don’t give cheap cards, and know when to fold. Short term results lie, long term decisions don’t.

phoenixKK · Jan 21, 2026

The river has no mercy with me too!
When this happens I stop playing for a while.one or two weeks to refresh your luck.

tuitui · Jan 21, 2026

River is not my friend often either. Remember that you can and should fold on the river. Not many players bluff when in river. Anyway, playing well does not mean winning all the time and there will be times luck will be on your side!

machinm19 · Jan 21, 2026

I'm pretty sure we have all felt this way at some stage, for me winning on the river is one of pokers biggest thrills so of course its painful being on the wrong end of it, I say embrace it. I even named my Son River which is apt as he always wins.

sibkaz · Jan 21, 2026

You need to understand the strength of your hand and your chances of winning. If everything is fine, go aggressive! It's better to get a small pot with two aces on the flop than to lose a lot with them on the river. )

puzzlefish · Jan 21, 2026

Try to remember those times that you win on the river

kmiarka · Jan 21, 2026

Bet hard, 60 - 80% of pot if you're strong before river comes - especially when you see drawable card on board.

I stopped with limping and value betting with hands like AK and hitting K on flop with color matched and stright-drawing boards and Im happy with it.

fundiver199 · Jan 22, 2026

Work on your mental game. You dont "always" lose on the river. If you go to the river with 80% equity, you win 4 out of 5 times. You just choose to focus on the 1 out of 5, that you lose. Or you focus on a meaningless small sample like 10 or 20 hands, where you saw the river as a favourite. Also poker is not about winning or losing hands, its about winning or losing money. So review your hands and see, if perhaps you lost more, than you had to.

If you got raised on the river, did you have to call? If you bet for value and got called by a better hand, were you perhaps value betting to thin or using to large sizing? If you called the whole way down, and you were ahead until the river, did you have to call the final river bet? Sometimes its fine to call flop, call turn but fold river. If you are not sure, share the hands to the cash game analysis or tournament analysis forum.

Goggelheimer · Jan 22, 2026

It's super frustrating to be so close to winning, only to lose on the river in online poker! This happens to all of us, especially when starting out.

Here's some advice to help you avoid those heartbreaking river losses:

1. Understand your opponents :

Analyze Their Stats: Pokertrackers (PT4, HM3, DH2,....) provide player stats like VPIP (Voluntarily Put Money In), PFR (Preflop Raise), and 3-bet %.
These can give you clues about their playing style – are they aggressive, passive, loose, tight?
Look for Patterns: Pay attention to how often they bet on different streets, raise sizes, and if they tend to bluff.

2. Be cautious on the River:

Don't overvalue your hand: Just because you have a good hand doesn't mean it's winning. Your opponent could have a better hand or be bluffing.
Consider their range: Learn to think in ranges, this is hard work and is not done in short term.
Think about the range of hands your opponent could be betting on the river based on their past actions and tendencies.

3. Manage your bankroll :

Set Limits: Decide how much you're comfortable losing before you start playing, and stick to it. Don't chase losses!
Choose Appropriate Stakes: Play at stakes that fit your bankroll and skill level.

4. Practice and Learn:

Review your hands: After each session, take some time to review your hands and identify mistakes (a Tracker may be helpfull there too).
What could you have done differently?
Study Poker Strategy: There are tons of free resources online (articles, videos) that can teach you about poker strategy.

Remember, even the best online players lose sometimes. The key is to learn from your mistakes and keep improving your game!

Mauricio Perrotta · Jan 22, 2026

Keep trying, be more cautious, create a strategy, don't always pay.

Mario7 · Jan 22, 2026

Focus on the process not the result - analyse lost hands, check if you played them correctly. Long term, the proper play should bring positive results.

stil370 · Jan 22, 2026

iblackerj said:
I love poker but almost lose at river? Any advise guys

Maybe.. focus a bit more on what happens prior to the river. Good Luck out there!

kecoakbogor · Jan 22, 2026

iblackerj said:
I love poker but almost lose at river? Any advise guys

don't greedy, this is mental game.
even if you have flush, maybe your opponent straight flush 🤨

MAFNL16061986 · Jan 22, 2026

its always gamble to have bingo lol lol

scobido · Jan 22, 2026

Yes, this river 🙂, a great hassle for many players, that is, for almost everyone it is when it helps us and then we are happy and when we lose we find all kinds of explanations. In conclusion, hold'em or omaha is played with at least 5 cards on the table and nothing less. 🙂

Kerasuss28 · Jan 22, 2026

iblackerj said:
I love poker but almost lose at river? Any advise guys

Play on GGPoker, you can cash out at flop or turn, so you save money maybe with good strategy .

Dimidrol2 · Jan 22, 2026

It's very frustrating, but there will be a streak and you will win. After losing, there is a winning period.

Phoenix Wright · Jan 23, 2026

I'm not saying it is the case, but a lot of the time, later betting rounds compound mistakes from earlier betting rounds. For example, having a preflop range that is way too loose could make River decisions more tricky, but the error wasn't the River per se, but rather the decisions that got you into that tough situation to begin with.

hardongear · Jan 24, 2026

Phoenix Wright said:
I'm not saying it is the case, but a lot of the time, later betting rounds compound mistakes from earlier betting rounds. For example, having a preflop range that is way too loose could make River decisions more tricky, but the error wasn't the River per se, but rather the decisions that got you into that tough situation to begin with.

Highly unrated comment. This man needs to be silver level.

Cheers!!!

Nesehorn156 · Jan 24, 2026

Losing on the river happens to everyone, so you’re definitely not alone. A lot of the time it’s just variance, especially if the money is already in before the river. One thing that helped me was focusing more on making good decisions on earlier streets rather than worrying about the river card. Also, try to think about whether you’re calling too light on the river when draws miss. Reviewing a few hands where you lost can really help spot patterns. Do you notice this happening more in cash games or tournaments?

Phoenix Wright · Jan 25, 2026

hardongear said:
Highly unrated comment. This man needs to be silver level.

Cheers!!!

You know I was Platinum. xD I'll get it back. Come on, cardschat. I've been active enough lately

hardongear · Jan 25, 2026

Phoenix Wright said:
You know I was Platinum. xD I'll get it back. Come on, cardschat. I've been active enough lately

Actually no I didn't realize sorry my bad.....your comment should have been a dead give away thou. Guess I'm being kinda slow minded today which would track with a couple bad calls I made on the river today

.

Cheers!!!

MK_ · Jan 25, 2026

... post some hands😎👍

Constantly losing on the river

iblackerj

Rising Star

veryluckyfish7k

Rock Star

Kasztor007

Rock Star

phoenixKK

Rock Star

tuitui

Rock Star

machinm19

Visionary

sibkaz

Legend

puzzlefish

👆 the guy who's opinion you would trust on this!

kmiarka

Enthusiast

fundiver199

Legend

Goggelheimer

Legend

Mauricio Perrotta

Legend

Mario7

Rock Star

stil370

Visionary

kecoakbogor

Rock Star

MAFNL16061986

Rock Star

scobido

Visionary

Kerasuss28

Rock Star

Dimidrol2

Visionary

Phoenix Wright

Legend

hardongear

Legend

Nesehorn156

Enthusiast

Phoenix Wright

Legend

hardongear

Legend

MK_

Legend

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