CHECK RAISING

CHECK RAISING

Check-raising also brings a sly smile to the face of just about anyone who has played an extended amount of poker for money.  To them, the term means two basic things:

1.     They’ve got a good hand – a REALLY good hand.

2.     They’re gonna get tricky to make a little extra money. 

But there’s no denying it.  Check-raising can be a very effective tactic in slowing down an out-of-control betting machine, making a little extra money, and establishing yourself as a force to be reckoned with.

Does that mean it should be done every time?  Well, you should only hope you would get the opportunity to do it more than once.  But the fact is that you rarely find yourself in a situation with good enough cards to do it more than once, and once you pull the ploy on your opponents, they’re much less likely to give you another chance to pull it again.

Most of the time, a check-raise works instantly.  The other players at the table recognize it for what it is: a trap.  But some may have genuine hands.  That makes check-raising very difficult to do a second time in the same hand.