- Poker See Your And Raise Your Home
- Poker I See Your And I Raise You
- Poker See And Raise
- Call And Raise In Poker
- Poker See Your And Raise Your Back
- Poker I See Your And Raise You
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Understanding how to bet is one of the fundamental skills in poker. If your aim is to become a skilled poker player, you have to understand why you are betting in the first place and how to manipulate your opponents into doing what you want so you can win as much as possible. Skilled poker players know exactly why they are betting and what they are trying to accomplish.
In later lessons we’ll cover some of the reasons behind calling a raise or re-raising, but they are far too situational, extensive, and quite simply beyond the scope of this lesson. Instead we’ll be keeping it fairly simple by examining the basic betting concepts that apply to pre-flop scenarios in no-limit hold’em when you’re involved in an unopened pot – that is, situations when you’re not facing a raise.
Before we talk about some of the reasons to open the betting by raising, be aware that in poker there are usually far more reasons to fold than to bet or raise. It’s important that you always exercise good starting hand selection. Put simply, don’t play too many hands. Most players do, and it’s probably the single biggest mistake made at the poker table. After all, whether you’re playing online poker or in a traditional casino, most of your opponents – like you – love poker. They came to play, not to throw away hand after miserable hand that doesn’t warrant wagering on. Unless you’re having a rare run of extremely good hands, most of the time you should toss your starting hand away with no regrets and save your money.
Why You Should Raise
“Why should I raise? I just want to see the flop and see what happens”. This is a common statement among novice poker players and it’s important to understand why this is ultimately a losing philosophy. While not as common or as significant an error as calling when you should have folded, failing to raise when the time is right will cost you money in the long run.
You should always strive to play an aggressive style of poker – which means that if you’re in the hand you are most often times going to be raising or re-raising. Good reasons to raise are as follows:
- To thin the field
- To take control of a hand
- To raise for value
- To get others to fold
Let’s take a look at each of these reasons for raising in more detail…
To Thin the Field
In most cases you don’t want to play a raised pot versus more than two other players. Even if you have a big starting hand it can still be vulnerable and you don’t want someone catching some random two pair hand or a crazy straight draw. The fewer people in the hand means you have fewer people to fight to win the pot and fewer decisions to make, so you should often be looking to raise when you enter the hand.
To Take Control of a Hand
Another very good reason to raise is that it announces to the poker table that you have a strong hand. Even if you miss the flop you can often carry on with your aggression by making a continuation bet and take down the pot. Since you raised pre-flop, players will more likely respect your next bet. When you raise pre-flop you’ll often find that other players will check to you after the flop, to see what you’re going to do. You’ve taken control of the hand.
To Raise for Value
The most common, straight forward reason to raise is when you have a good starting hand. Believing you have the best of it based upon your hand’s value you want to get more money into the pot – pretty simple, right? Not so fast! There are several other considerations to evaluate. Raising pre-flop for value can be somewhat tricky in terms of bet size because you want to accomplish several objectives:
- You want to get more money in the pot.
- You probably want to narrow the field.
- You want your opponents to be drawing incorrectly.
You need to determine what your bet size should be to accomplish the above objectives. I believe you should be consistent in how you bet regardless of your holding so as to make it more difficult for observant opponents to put you on a hand accurately. My recommendation is to raise three times the big blind plus one additional bet for every limper in front of you. Do that every time and no one can get a read on your play. Also, this type of bet should accomplish all three objectives.
While you’re still learning how to play poker it’s very important that you avoid raising the minimum. A common beginner mistake is when they raise the minimum with a pair of Aces after three of four people have limped in. This is bad because while Aces are the best hand pre-flop, it’s unlikely that the others will fold. “But I want them to call and build the pot” – actually you don’t. Aces are not a favourite to win versus four random hands.
The point is that you should be raising an amount where you maximize how much you win.
To Get Others to Fold
Since bluffing is certainly part of poker, sometimes you will be betting in order to get others, who may have better hands than you, to fold. This is especially true in tournament poker where stealing the blinds and antes is crucial for building your chip stack.
If your goal is to get others to fold, you can’t be timid. While a smaller raise can look like a big hand, you want to bet an amount that your opponent can’t call. However, keep in mind that each bet tells a story. While going all-in might be the largest amount you can bet, if it looks like you want a fold then you might get a call from someone who doesn’t believe you.
When Calling is an Option
While you should strive to play an aggressive style of poker, particularly when playing no-limit hold’em, there are situations in which it is best to just call pre-flop. Here are two examples:
- When you’re first to act
- Calling after other limpers
There are times in which the strength of your hand, your position at the table and other situational factors dictate that it is better to limp into the pot. Being first to act is one of these times. However, the important concept to remember is that you should only be limping with a hand you can stand to call a raise with. An example would be limping in early position with a small pocket pair in hopes of catching a set.
If you find yourself in a situation where 3 or 4 players have already limped in, it’s often okay to call with certain types of hands – although it’s still important that you use good hand selection. Just because other people are playing doesn’t mean you can justify playing any two cards.
Poker See Your And Raise Your Home
What you should take away while you are still learning to play is that when you are faced with a tough decision, calling is almost always the last choice. If you’re playing poker correctly, you’ll fold more than you raise and raise more than you call. That’s the ticket. Calling too often with mediocre and weak hands is a one-way street to a busted bankroll.
Remember to Always Ask Why
In poker there are many reasons to bet and one should always have a reason versus just firing out chips. Being aware of criteria such as position, knowledge of opponents’ tendencies, your current table image and the depth of stack sizes should help you identify what your objective is before proceeding.
To conclude, remember to always ask why. That is how you learn. Skilled poker players need to be astute enough to understand the wisdom in always asking why before proceeding. Have a plan and then execute your plan.
Related Lessons
By Donovan Panone
Donovan started playing poker in 2004 and is an experienced tournament and cash game player who has a passion for teaching and helping others improve their game.
The 'check raise' is one of the strongest and arguably the most effective moves in Texas Hold'em poker. Regarded by some as a dishonest move and even banned in certain card rooms, there is no doubt that the check-raise is an important weapon in any winning player's arsenal.
A check-raise is made when you check when the action gets to you, with the intention of raising if your opponent bets, hence the name 'check-raise'.
As you can imagine it is an interesting move because at first you show weakness to your opponent by checking, and then coming over the top of them to show a great amount of strength. This is why it can be regarded as dishonest as it is such a deceptive play, 'trapping' your opponent's bet into the pot.
Poker I See Your And I Raise You
So why should you use the check raise?
The check raise is useful in both bluffing your opponents out of pots and getting more money into the pot when you have a good hand. The check-raise also brings a dynamic element to your game by making you become more unpredictable to your opponents.
It is rare to find an amateur player using this move in a poker game, so if your opponents see you using this move they can be fairly sure you know how to play good poker, and may think twice about bluffing you out of future pots. Below are the two areas that describe how the check-raise can be used for bluffing, and getting more money into the pot with a strong hand.
Check raise example.
$0.50/$1 No Limit Hold'em cash game - 6 Players
SB: $100
Hero (BB): $100.00
UTG: $100
MP: $100
CO: $100
BTN: $100
Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is BB with 7 8
2 folds, CO raises to $4, 2 folds, Hero calls $4
Flop: ($9.50) 6 6 9 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $6, Hero raises $18, CO folds
Check-raising as a bluff and semi-bluff.
The check raise is arguably the strongest move in poker, and so for this reason it is exceptionally useful when trying to pull off a bluff. This move is most effective against one opponent and becomes less successful as you increase the number of opponents, which could really be said for any type of bluff. 3 criteria should be met in order to make a good check raise:
To pull off a check-raise you have to be in first position for the obvious reason that you have to be checking into your opponent to make them bet. If your opponent does indeed bet, then if you raise your opponent you are showing such a high amount of strength that your opponent will fold any marginal hands.
A check raise will only work when you are first to act, otherwise you will simply be raising (if you are last to act).
There are certain criteria you should follow in order for this to be successful.
- You should be confident that you opponent holds a marginal hand.
- You should re-raise at least twice the amount of your opponent's bet.
- The pot should be relatively small.
- It is advisable to have some sort of drawing hand or marginal hand.
Be confident that your opponent has a hand they can fold.
Firstly, if you believe that your opponent holds a monster, there is little to no chance that a check-raise will get them off the hand. If you know that your opponent regularly bets after a person checks to him with no hand or with small to middle pairs, there is a far greater chance that a check-raise in this situation will work.
Make a strong raise.
Secondly, the re-raise made by you should be at least twice your opponent's bet. For example if your opponent bets $5 into a $10 pot, you should bet $15, re-raising another $10. This is because a minimum re-raise is likely to have little effect on your opponent, because they will only have to call a small amount relative to the size of the pot in order to see the next card. However, if you are re-raising them at least twice the amount they bet, it will make them think a little bit harder about whether they want to pay as much to see the next card.
Aim to make re raises at least twice the size of your opponent's bet. You do not want to give them good odds to call by minimum raising.
Check raises tend to be more effective in small pots.
Thirdly, you are more likely to pull off a bluff when the pot is small. This will be because the amount your opponent must call to see the next card will be larger relative to the size of the pot, giving them the wrong pot odds or to call to make a second pair or to make their draw. Therefore a check-raise will be more effective on the first actual round of betting, such as on the flop in Hold'em. If there is no betting on the flop then a check-raise will still be as effective on the turn because the pot has remained the same size, because there will have been no betting since the pre-flop betting round.
Finally, you will save yourself more money in the long run if you hold a drawing hand, due to the fact that your opponent will occasionally call your re-raise. If you have no hand, you will have to check and give up your hand to any bets on future rounds, losing the full amount of money you used in the actual raise.
However, if you have a good draw when your opponent calls, you stand a chance of taking the whole pot when you make your draw. In addition to this, you are likely to get a free card after after-check raising on the flop, because your opponent will be afraid to bet into you on future rounds. Giving you extra opportunities to make your draw.
Check raising for extra money.
If you hit a monster hand in poker, your main objective is to get as much money from your opponents as possible, and this is where a check-raise comes in handy. Unlike in the situation mentioned above, you want to use the check raise a little more passively to avoid scaring your opponents out of the hand. As with using this move to bluff opponents, there is another set of criteria that will make this play successful when followed correctly.
- The check-raise for extra money is more effective against multiple opponents.
- Be sure to be in first or early position.
- Do not check-raise too much.
It is advisable to check raise for extra money when there is more than one opponent in the pot, otherwise the move will do what is mentioned in the first part of the article, showing too much strength and making your opponent fold his marginal hand.
In the majority of situations, you are better off betting straight out as opposed to going for the check raise. However, it is a handy play to have in your arsenal in the right spots.
It is better to attempt a check raise when you are in one of the earliest positions in the hand, because if you are one of the last few to act, then you cannot be sure that any of the players behind you will bet to give you the opportunity to raise.
Although you want to extract as much money form your opponents as possible, a large re-raise may scare them all out of the hand. By minimum raising you are giving you opponents a greater incentive to put more money into the pot, because it is not costing them as much to see the next card.
Be sure when you do check-raise to extract extra money from your opponents, that your hand is virtually unbeatable. You do not want to be making minimum re-raise if the board is coordinated enough that your opponents hold hands that could possibly out-draw you.
Check raise evaluation.
When used correctly, the check-raise can be used to your advantage when you do not hold a strong hand, and when you hold a very strong hand. It is well worth your time and effort learning the principles put forward in this article, as it will prove to be of a tremendous value to your poker game.
Poker See And Raise
This article covers the basics that you should know to help you understand how to effectively use this move. Be careful not to over-use this move, as it will lose its credibility the more you use it against the same opponent. The check-raise also requires a certain amount of knowledge about your opponent, which cannot be thoroughly taught through articles. So get out there and practice!
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Poker See Your And Raise Your Back
