Raising and Check Raising
Raising
There are five basic reasons to raise in no limit hold ‘em:
1. To get more money in the pot.
2. To drive players out.
3. To bluff (or semi-bluff).
4. To get a free card.
5. To gain information.
If you think you have the bettor beat, it is generally correct to raise, even if you risk driving out players behind you. In fact, in many cases, it is very important to drive out players on the flop. This is because in today’s modem structure, the size of the pot is often so large in relation to the bet on the flop that it sometimes becomes correct to draw to long-shot hands if there is no raise (on the flop). Consequently, your raise in these spots often will save the whole pot for you. By the way, if you are raising on the flop to drive people out, it usually will work only against those players who have not yet had a chance to call the original bet. It is a rare player who will fold his hand on the flop for one more bet after he already has put money into the pot. (Sometimes, however, the original bettor will help you drive out players by reraising.) Even if you are not sure that you have the best hand, a raise is often correct. Keep in-mind that if you do hold the best hand, or if your hand becomes the best hand, your raise may have stopped other opponents from drawing out on you.
Check Raising
One of the most powerful forms of raising is the check-raise. Check-raising is the play of checking your hand with the intention of raising on the same round after an opponent bets. Notice that check-raising and slowplaying are two ways ofplaying a strong hand weakly to trap your opponents. However, they are not the same thing. In addition, the check-raise should often be used to exclude opponents from competing for the pot. Sometimes, in limit hold’em, this is the most desirable characteristic of check-raising. For check-raising to be correct, you usually should:
1. Think you have the best hand (though not a slowplaying
hand).
2. Be quite sure that someone will bet behind you if you check.
A situation where check-raising probably would be correct is when you flop top two pair, there are many players on the flop, and you are in an early position. This is especially true if you think that the bet will come from a late position player. (The action before the flop will frequently indicate where the bet is likely to come from.)
Sometimes it is also correct to check-raise with a drawing hand. An example is when you think a player to your left will bet and two or more players will call. However, don’t raise if you fear a reraise or if a reasonable chance exists that your hand won’t win even if you hit it (perhaps a pair shows). Also keep in mind that a four-flush or an open-end straight draw normally should be bet if there is any chance that you can steal the pot. Two interesting things may happen if you check a lot of good hands on the flop. First, some of your opponents may become afraid to bet. That is, they may be more inclined to give you a free card, and this free card may win the pot for you.
Second, even if a blank hits on the turn, you now may be able to steal the pot. Your opponents are not going to suspect a bluff merely because you didn’t bet on the flop, as they know you might have been trying for a check-raise. In fact, some of your opponents might feel smug when you bet, since they "escaped your trap." (When you are bluffing in this situation, never show your hand.) However, remember that if you check a lot of hands on the flop, the free card that you give occasionally may cost you the pot.
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