The check-raise is one of the most powerful moves that can be made at a poker table. In some ways it is a stronger bet then even the all-in. Quite simply when it is your turn to act, you check. When another player in the hand bets and the action comes around to you, most players will expect you to fold (you did check after all, you must have a weak hand) or you might call in order to see another card. But instead, you raise! The message is clear: you have a big hand and you checked just to get another player or players to put their money in the pot so you could take it from them.

There are some big advantages to using the check-raise and because they are different, the use of the check-raise will spread doubt in your opponents minds. First, if you are first to act in a hand, you are at a disadvantage but if you check and then raise, suddenly your position is much improved and your opponents will be very concerned about your action in the next round of betting.

You may simply be trapping your opponents for an extra bet and they will either have to fold and give up the bet they already put into the pot or call your raise and continue the hand against a player (you!) who has just made a very powerful statement about their hand. The check-raise really puts a squeeze on your opponents.

The ripples of the check-raise go well beyond the current hand. Imagine the next time you are in a hand and you check; won’t they be worried about another check-raise. And if you simply call their bet, won’t they worry that now you have changed up your game and you might be ready to check-raise them in the next round of betting. You have added deception to your game and skill to your table image.

Also the check-raise can be used as an enormous bluff. You check-raise on the flop and then fire a big bet on the turn. Other players will look at the board and wonder just how strong your hand really is and often they will just lay it down rather than face yet another bet on the river.

One final but very important point. Some rooms and many home games don’t allow the check-raise. This is a sin against the game of poker. Deception is part of the game an the check-raise is a legitimate expression of that aspect of poker. Allow it in your home game, if you really are playing poker and refuse to play in any public card room that bans the check-raise; they are just bingo players in disguise.

-This is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #83

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 2nd, 2008 at 2:23 am and is filed under Poker Basics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.