10 Essential Texas Hold’em Moves: The Check-Raise

We’re here to tell you winning at poker isn’t all about fundamentals.

There are a handful of special moves that, when mastered, can make the difference between winning a little, and winning a lot.

In this ten-part beginner poker strategy series we’re going to show you exactly how to use these powerful poker moves to make more money.

Today we’re talking about the check-raise, a move that’s one of the most basic yet powerful tactics you can add to your poker arsenal.

By checking and raising your opponent’s bet you can use his position against him to get more money into the pot when you’re holding the nuts, and make him throw away the best hand when you’re bluffing.

The check-raise is a technique you should be using in every poker session, but it’s extremely important to understand the move and how to use it so it doesn’t become a serious leak.

The What

A check-raise in poker consists of checking when the action's on you, and raising after a player behind you has bet. The check-raise is a trapping move.

The Why

Check-raising can be done for two reasons. Either you are check-raising for value, to get more money into the pot when you think you have the best hand, or check-raising as a bluff, to make your opponent throw away the best hand.

 The WhenThe check-raise is an essential Texas Hold’em move that is right at home in any poker game on the planet. It’s equally effective in cash games, tournaments and sit and gos.

The Where

Since you must check in order to check-raise, this move only works when you’re out of position.

Check-Raising Done Right

Since this is a beginner poker strategy series, moves like the check-raise must be handled with care.

The first thing you need to know when check-raising is why you’re doing it. Poker is a game of planning and the check-raise is a prime example. Unless you know what you’re trying to accomplish by check-raising you’ll just be burning money.

Check-raising is done in two main ways.

Either you’re holding what you think is the best hand and you check-raise for value, to get more money into the pot, or you think your opponent has the best hand and you’re check-raising as a bluff to make your opponent fold.

Check-raising also serves to balance your checking range, meaning that by raising some of the times when you check, your opponent won’t automatically know you have a weak hand when you check to them.