How To Bluff With A Check/Raise
Check/raising is one of the most underused moves in poker. This advanced poker move is so strong that it’ll put even a super aggressive opponent in his place. The check/raise will also clear a field of several opponents when a pot sized bet can’t. If you’re not check/raising, you’re leaving money on the table. This is one trick that everyone should have their sleeves. Here’s how to execute it.
Establish A Tight-Aggressive Image
In order to check/raise successfully, it has to be believable. And for it to be believable, it has to be something that your opponents would expect you to do with a big hand. Tight-aggressive players are known for making aggressive moves like a check/raise with solid hands. Few players expect a tight-aggressive player to use it as a bluff. Establishing a tight aggressive table image will make your bluff much more effective.
Use From Early Position
Obviously you’ll be check/raising from early position, but it’s best to use it when you’re first to act. When you’re up against three other opponents and you want to thin the field, a check/raise is usually better than betting out. When you bet out, your opponents could call you with a lot of different hands. They might call with a draw or a weak top pair. They might even call with a strong second pair if they just flat-out don’t believe you.
Check/raises are different. It’s very difficult for an opponent to call a check/raise unless they have a legitimate hand. This move almost always forces out draws and tells weak top pairs that they’re beat.
Don’t Be A Sissy
I see lots of players check/raising with a min-raise. That’s a sissy bet. You didn’t raise enough to cut off your opponent’s odds. In fact, it’s almost a compulsory call with any made hand. A solid raise is usually three times your opponent’s bet. The only exception is when your opponent bets small into a large pot. In that case, you’ll have to raise substantially more. Usually a pot size raise will do the job.
Use Sparingly
Don’t raise on a stone cold bluff. That’s just asking for trouble. You should use a check/raise to cut off draws when there are a lot of players in the pot and you have a hand like top pair decent kicker. The check/raise is also good technique to use to get your opponents to fold when you’re on a big draw. Even if you get called, you have a chance of making a monster hand.
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The check/raise is a powerful tool that’s best used as a semi-bluff. It also works well in place of the c-bet (continuation bet) when you’re out of position against multiple opponents. While this technique works great as a semi-bluff when you have a big draw or a mediocre hand, it can get you into big trouble if you use it as a stone cold bluff. Master this underused technique and you’ll destroy most of the opponents you’ll face in low-limit Hold’em.
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