Why should I check and raise in poker?

Check and raise is a sort of compound move. The player checks the first time round and when the move comes back to him he raises. This assumes that someone else has bet in between.

In order to understand check and raise you have first to individually understand check, call the bet and raise. Check is an option available to the poker player by which he can remain in the game without making any further wager. This option is available if no other player has placed a wager in that round. Once someone places a wager the players following him cannot check. He has to call the bet or raise. Or he can fold, that is he can quit the deal. Call the bet is the option where the player places a wager equal to the current betting level. This includes the original bet amount and all the raises till that time. Sometimes this option is referred to as call. Raise is the option in which the poker player increases the level of betting. It is important to note that a player cannot raise his own bet. If the player has made a bet and no one raises, then the player has to continue playing at the same level when it is his turn again, unless he folds.

Before a player can apply the check and raise strategy certain prerequisites need to be met. First is that the casino rules allow the player to check and raise. Many casinos do not allow this option and therefore the player needs to clarify this before playing. The second prerequisite is that the player has the option to check. If someone has already placed a wager then the player cannot check and therefore cannot check and raise.

The check and raise strategy works as follows. The player checks and waits for someone to make a bet. If no one places a bet then the raise option is not available to the player. However if someone else has bet then the player can raise. In the check and raise strategy the player raises by a huge amount so that the subsequent players would not like to call with weak hands. This strategy is used by players with good hands playing against weaker players. However for this strategy to be worth the risk there should be a largish pot. It is not worth raising by a huge amount for a small pot, because then you would essentially be getting your own money back. Typically the raises are no more than about one and a half times the pot. Since the player has checked earlier the pot so far has been contributed by others, at least in the current round of betting. Say the pot is $1,000 and the betting level is $200. The player raises to $1,500. Most good players would fold unless they too are holding very good hands. The weaker players might continue playing hoping for luck but this would suit the player because the pot is getting bigger.

Since this strategy is generally used when holding good hands it is useful for bluffing with middling hands. Players with better hands may fold rather than calling the raised amount.

Check and raise strategy is more common in stud games like Texas Hold´em. Pros make this move when they currently hold strong hands, which are not likely to improve as more cards are exposed.