TOP #14 - Check-Raising

[wallenborn]

Check-raising is checking your hand with the intention of raising on the same round after an opponent bets. It can drive opponents out and may even win the pot right there.

Necessary Conditions for Check-Raising

Two conditions are needed to check-raise for value:

[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] You must think you have the best hand, but not such a great hand that a slowplay would be proper.
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] You must be quite sure someone behind you will bet if you check. This condition is very important. Keep in mind that you could be making a serious, double-edged mistake if you check and no-one bets behind you, by giving a free card and not getting value.

Check-Raising and Position

When you plan to check-raise with several players still in the pot, you need to consider the position of the player you expect will bet because that position determines the kind of hand you check-raise with, to a large extent.

[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] If that player is to your right, everybody checks, he bets and you raise, then the other players are forced to call a double bet, and they will almost certainly fold. You have check-raised to reduce the field.
[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] If that player is to your left, you check, he bets, several players call, and you raise. Now you are likely to get callers, and you have check-raised for value.

On the other hand, betting and possibly getting raised would be for value in the first situation, and you would thin the field in the second.

Check-Raising With a Second-Best Hand

[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] It is frequently correct to check-raise with a second-best hand if the play will drive other opponents out. The principle here is identical to the principle of raising with what you think is the second-best hand as it was explained in Chapter Nine and Chapter Thirteen.
[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Sometimes you can check-raise with a come hand like a four-flush if there are many people in the pot already and you don't expect a reraise. This play should usually be made only when the probable bettor is to your immediate left. You do not want to drive players out because you want to get the correct odds for your raise.


Older threads:

TOP #1 - Beyond Beginning Poker
TOP #2 - Mathematical Expectation and Hourly Rate
TOP #3 - The Fundamental Theorem of Poker
TOP #4 - The Ante Structure
TOP #5 - Pot Odds
TOP #6 - Effective Odds
TOP #7 - Implied Odds and Reverse Implied Odds
TOP #8 - The Value of Deception
TOP #9 - Win the Big Pots Right Away
TOP #10 - The Free Card
TOP #11 - The Semi-Bluff
TOP #12 - Defense Against the Semi-Bluff
TOP #13 - Raising

[effang]

why do you review both TOP and NLTAP? TOP doesn't even seem that relevant. i read through a few chapters, and much of it has to do with stud, or something, where the information coming in is much much more relevant.

[wallenborn]

Hm, i feel that TOP is actually more relevant. The NLTAP concepts sometimes are kinda "dude, ain't that obvious", but TOP is deep, and not only for Stud players. Granted, check-raising is probably not the best example here...

[LearningCurve]

Having read quite a few books on poker within the past year, it's rare to find one which does not have TOP at the top of the list of titles suggested for "additional reading." I think in many regards it is consider the "Bible" of poker. While it's true that many of the concepts are not particularly relevant to NLHE, I still believe there is a wealth of information to be gleaned from it.