A check raise is a poker move that involves checking in the betting round before raising when an opponent makes a bet. It is one of the most powerful deceptive moves in the game and can be used to extract a significant amount of money from opponents with marginal hands. Despite its power, it should be avoided in most situations where there are multiple players in the pot and it is best used as a bluff against just one opponent.
The main reason that the check raise is such a strong poker play is because it forces your opponent to call with even marginal hands, such as drawing and second-best made hands. When executed correctly, it can also induce an all-in shove from those with the very best hands. However, there are a few key criteria that must be followed in order for this to be successful. For starters, the player should be in first position as this will make it much easier to bet into an opponent. They should also be confident that their opponent holds a marginal hand and they should re-raise at least double the size of their opponent’s bet.
In addition, the check raise should be made in a small pot. This will ensure that your opponent is forced to front a relatively large amount of money in order to see the next card and they will be confronted with unattractive pot odds. A player can usually get a feel for the type of hand their opponent is holding by paying attention to their behavior in earlier rounds and observing how they react when they are checked to.
Another important consideration when attempting a check raise is the opponent’s knowledge of your bluffing tendencies. If your opponent is aware that you are likely to check raise, they will be less likely to check call with their marginal hands and may even fold to the bet. Moreover, it is always better to make your check raise as early in the betting round as possible since doing so will allow you to take advantage of an opponent’s ignorance of your strategy.
The only time that a player should check raise when there are multiple opponents in the pot is when they are in one of the earliest positions. Otherwise, it will be difficult to know whether any of the players behind them will bet in order to give you a chance to raise. Besides, an enormous re-raise will scare the other players out of their hand and will not be very effective as a bluff. Moreover, by at least raising the stakes, your opponents will have a greater incentive to put more money into the pot since it is not costing them as much to see the next card.
