Check-raising In Poker
May 15th, 2009
heck-raising is when you check your hand and then raise when another player bets. In home games, the idea of check-raising is con-idered sandbagging and is frowned upon or even not allowed. However, it is allowed in most casino poker rooms and is a powerful tool to help you extract more money from your fellow players.
Check raising is a good way to get more money in the pot when you think you have the best hand. When you have a hand that can't be beaten you would want to slowplay, but if your hand is susceptible to a stronger hand you may want to utilize the check-raise. When you check-raise you are also looking to eliminate some of the players thus narrowing the field. This will depend on the position of the player you are check-raising.
A good opportunity for a check-raise comes when the player to your immediate left has raised before the flop. If you flop a strong hand and think that you have the pre-flop raiser beaten, it will be to your advantage to check-raise. If you bet, the player to your left may raise you immediately. This would force all the other players to either cold call two bets or fold. If you are certain he will bet, then you can check. Most of the other players will assume that the pre-flop player would naturally bet after the flop and many will call one bet. When the action gets back to you, a check raise will force them to call one more bet rather than two. Most players, having already called, will call a single raise.
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Slowplaying Poker
May 14th, 2009
In Texas Hold'em you are not trying to win the greatest number of pots. You are trying to play correctly and win the most money. Two ways you can increase the money you win is with slowplaying and check raising. Both of these tactics have sometimes been referred to as "sandbagging" but there is nothing underhanded about either method. It is an acceptable practice used by smart players. Slowplaying is when you play a strong hand weakly to keep as many players in the hand, thus contributing to the growth of the pot.
You should slowplay your hand when it is very strong and you know that by betting all the other players will fold. Instead of betting, you would check and you would just call instead of raising if someone bets before you. You do this to conceal the strength of your hand. When you have the nuts or a monster hand that is unlikely to be beaten, you can give your opponents an opportunity to draw into a hand that will be second best.
If you held and the flop was
you have a full house. Unless someone has A-A in the pocket you have the best hand. Someone holding two diamonds has a flush draw. A player with K-Q, K-T, or Q-T has a straight draw. In this situation you don't mind checking and giving a free card. If it is bet, you should just call since a raise may drive out the other players. Better to let someone make a flush or straight that will be second best to your full house. You will also get action from anyone holding a single Jack who has just made trips.
Another example of a hand to slowplay is:
If you held
and the flop was
Although most of the time you won't want to slowplay trips, it would be correct to slow play this hand. It is extremely unlikely
that a player would be playing 7-2 unless he is the big blind. A player with the fourth Queen will have made top pair and will give you action. A player with two overcards such as A-K may be hoping to pair up. In low-limit games many players will play with a single Ace hoping to catch one on the turn or river. If an Ace falls on the river, you may even be able to check raise then.
When you slowplay, you have to be fairly certain that allowing someone else a free card won't give them a hand that can beat you. Many players slowplay hands that are only marginally strong and find that they pay the consequences for doing so. Small trips are very vulnerable and you should not slowplay them. Most of the time this would also hold true when you flop top pair. It will depend on the texture of the flop. Again your ability to read the board will be an important factor in deciding whether to slowplay or bet.
You don't want to slowplay AA before the flop unless your are in the blinds and want to disguise the strength of your hand. Aces play best against a small field. You raise to narrow the field. If you are in early or middle position, and decide to slowplay your hand it could be a costly mistake. If you merely call with AA, you are allowing everyone into the hand for a single bet. The more players in the hand, the more chances that one of them will flop a hand that can beat you.
If the flop is
someone holding 8-7 who may have folded if you had raised, has instead flopped a straight. Or the player who will play any connectors like 6-5 in an unraised pot has made two pair. You don't want this to happen. I have learned this from experience. After being burned by trying to slowplay pocket rockets, I now raise immediately with this hand.
It is better to bet out a hand and win a small pot than it is to slowplay a hand and lose a big pot.
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