Champion of Poker

When you check in poker you put no chips into the pot. This is often perceived as a sign of weakness as you are indicating that, at the point of action, you are not willing to risk anymore money into the pot currently being contested. Often this will lead to your opponent betting into you to either steal the pot or represent strength. If you then raise, you act to suddenly declare strength. Your opponent is immediately put to the test. Giving your opponents the chance to make errors is a key part of winning Texas Hold’em poker. This sudden show of strength can make an opponent fold a drawing hand or medium strength hand straight away; allowing you to win a pot you may otherwise have lost.

Why Bother Check-Raising?

In order to check first you must be in early position in the hand. Being in early position is not an advantage as late position, as we all know, is better. Many opponents will bet into you with any two cards. Your subsequent raise not only (potentially) wins the pot at this point but reminds opponents that you are capable of making this move. Later in the cash game or tournament you may check to hopefully earn a free card. Remembering you may be planning to check raise, your opponent with less than a premium hand may check back which is good for you in that situation.

Check-raising strengthens your status in early position in an otherwise weak situation. It must not be over-used, however, as if you are called it gets progressively more difficult to continue given your position and likelihood your hand may be beaten as the bets get bigger on each street.

Check Raise as a Bluff

Have you heard of the squeeze play from early position in a cash game? This is similar but often in this case you do not have Aces, as it appears. A check raise looks like a really strong move or a blatant bluff. Before you implement this strategy reflect on how your opponents may perceive your play so far, they may think you are very loose and consider the move a bluff or perhaps you have played tight and therefore look like a rock? If you have a tight image a check raise should get most hands to fold.

You will regularly see a check raise with a strong drawing hand in cash games as it gives players a second chance to winning the pot. It also sets up a final barrel bluff on the turn or river if the players miss their draw. If you are called on the check raise and then raised on the turn you should consider what hands your opponents could have then work out if pot odds allow you to continue.

Check Raise to Build the Pot

Because check raising is done so frequently with drawing hands it can look like a steal more than a pot building strategy. So use it as a pot building strategy! Many players dislike the check raise but it is a vital mechanism to reign in the late position players who steal every pot when checked to. By check raising on the flop you may gain bets you would otherwise lose making a similar bet resulting in a fold on the turn.

There is nothing wrong with check raising and players who moan about it are too passive or scared to have a go at using it. It will make you money in Holdem if you use it correctly and observe your opponents carefully before trying it. It is a good tool to have in a cash game situation.

By Malcolm Clarke