Check Out The Check Raise

Check raise poker is one of the classic ways to bamboozle your opponent and lure him into a false sense of security. Though some casinos don’t allow such devious tricks, many do. So without further ado, here’s how to make the maximum bang for your buck, or rather pow for your pounds, when implementing check raise poker online or wherever you may be playing the game.

Why Check Raise to Begin With?

There are two reasons to check raise. The first is that you have a mega midnight monster hand and don’t want your opponents folding. Fishermen are quiet and patient for a reason: they need the fish to come to them.

The second reason is to bluff your opponents by giving them a chance to bet, then immediately coming over the top of them, when the action returns to you, indicating that you were simply looking to trap them with your initial check and what you actually have is a devastatingly strong hand.

Position

Like any sport, positioning is everything. The only way to use check raise poker effectively is from in front of the play, when you are out of position i.e., first or second to bet. This initial check, regardless of whether you have a strong hand or not, allows you to see the action and get a read on your opponents before making a decisive move.

Who Are You Up Against and How Many of Them Are There?

The key to using check raise poker effectively is knowing who to make the play against. If you check, you want to be playing with guys that will be liberal enough with there chips to bet on a variety on different hands. You don’t want to be running into big hands with these kinds of plays unless you have something very special.

Furthermore, if there are multiple players and you are using the check raise bluff, your odds of winning the pot rapidly diminish. So unless your the guy holding the aces. It’s best not to try it when there’s a lot of action going on around the table.

Raising the Right Amount

It’s also an equally bad idea to try the check raise with a small bet. The point of the check raise is to mimic weakness, then follow it up with a thunderbolt of strength. The general rule is to bet at least double what your opponent raised. For example, if they bet £10 you bet at least £20. You don’t want to give them an easy ride and a cheap flop if you think you have the best hand at that time. Go hard or go home.

Great Way To Take Small Pots

When nobody is packing royal pairs around the table, not a full house in sight and nobody is willing to pretend they are onto something, check raising is a great way to steal small pots with little risk to your stack. Also, it is easier to bluff in small pots as you need less chips to make a relatively big move.

Keeping Them Guessing

By check raising, whether you are playing online poker or in person, you are not allowing your opponent to easily predict your game. This is to say that if you openly check raise, better players will notice this and be weary of betting ahead of you as the game goes on. This can allows you free cards on the flop that you could not expect if you had not shown your check raising credentials previously. Of course, this does not mean you should check raise every time you are out of position. Variety is the spice of life and certainly a great way to win a poker game.

Its All About The Money

Ultimately, the reason players use check raise poker tactics comes down to one simple thing: they want to extract as much money from their opponents as possible. Yes, it’s sneaky, yes its not leading from the front, with hearts on the sleeve. But this is poker not Die Hard 4. We all know honesty and transparency are not winning attributes for poker. So whether you are looking to trap your opposite numbers by feigning weakness or steal a pot with a seemingly uninspiring hand before somebody else out bluffs you. Remember, the check raise will keep the other players on their toes, whilst your stack piles up steadily, regardless of the cards you’ve been dealt.

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