Check raising

Check raising. Do you folks do it? Considered rude? Too aggressive? When I first started playing limit poker I used it with success. Then I read Super Systems and read that Doyle didn't use it that much. Now I'm back to using it again. Great way to get all the money in the middle of the table or getting someone to fold or to make people fear you. When you check people are afraid to put in a bet with marginal hands because they know you are capable of check-raise all-in.

why would a c/r be considered rude?

The check raise is the most overused and misused play that I can think of.

If I have a pocket pair, hit a set on the flop and there are draws out there I will sometimes check in early position to see where I am in the hand.

If the table is drawing and no one raises I make my bet on the turn.
If someone bets on the flop I will re-raise if I feel they are trying eliminate the competition for a draw.

If they call at least I've gotten us heads up and can always muck it if the river looks like a straight or flush has shown up.

The 'check-raise' years back wasn't allowed in Holdem in England (or maybe UK). Read old poker books and you'll find this is the case (why read old poker books?.. idk.... cuz they were there???).

Check-Raise.... I don't use it too often. It's an expensive way to re-steal imo, lol. Occassionally I'll throw it in, but more so so that I'm able to be able to check and see a free turn card (referring to Tourney play as most of my comments are in the forum). Alot of noobs will lead out with a smallish or min. bet on flops when they're holding weak hands... like they're believing a 'check' will for sure be a huge sign of weakness and that the small bet won't be. If you occassionally check your monsters on the flop (key word.. 'occassionally'... 90% of the time I'm leading out with them) then when you're checking a weak hand, opponent's may also fear that you're possibly setting them up for a check-raise.
Not sure how this came out from the wording,... and not really getting to what I'm trying to express.

As far as it being 'rude'..... perhaps if the Queen of England was wishing to play a few hands of Hold'em over tea... I might not make the check-raise part of my repertoire (sp?).

On the opposite... many noobs overuse the 'check-raise'. When I'm in position against someone I have tagged as very often check-raising OOP, then if I'm on a draw I'll check behind in hopes of hitting it on the turn.

As with any question a lot will depend on the table you are at. But, in some circumstances I have found that a check raise on the flop when on a flush draw will let you see the river for free for a lot less than had you just check called the bet on the flop.

I do check-raise when i have the best hand and sometimes when I'm buffling cause I believe it shows strenght but it doesn't always work.

Hey, if it works for you by all means...do it. Just another tool in the 'ol poker toolbox. Rude? Too aggressive? No way. Everyone does it to some degree. It might work well against some players sometimes, not so well against other players other times. Only you can decide...

I use it sometimes, when i got a betting station, and when i know he will keep betting, and calling.....
It's not rude... use it here and there, you see the pros using it at the right times.

Doyle didn't use it because he couldn't. Doyle was one of the most aggressive players around in is day. Who would bet into him? And also he was always betting and cbetting if he didn't bet i'm sure poeple thought something was up. I like the check/raise but don't over use it. But you got to make sure it is a money maker before you do it. Too often if you check someone will just check behind taking free cards that can beat you and keeping the money from going in the pot. so for the most part if i got a hand i'll bet it i want the money in while i'm ahead. i will use the check/raise as a bluff alot if i since my opponant is weak.

I have problems when on a 2 pair or straight or flush draw and get check raised all in. I usally end up folding and have a sneaking suspistion I get pushed off hands to easy. Usally I wait to trap these players with a great hand but you cannot always do that.

Maybe I should be more brave because when I do sometimes call I have them dominated but its hard when you have to call all your chips after 2 or 3 hours in a tourney.

I've noticed a lot of OLD books bringing attention to how check-raising would be considered rude. I can only imagine that was the case around the dinner table though, and is completely fine today.

In cash games I rarely check with the intention of check-raising. It seems to backfire more than it increases profits when it does work. Simply betting out seems to give better results.

Occasionally I will check and then raise after I think I've seen a bluff or someone betting a weak draw, but that's about it. The only time I really do it on purpose is against the occasional player who puts out a lot of feeler bets and folds easily to a reraise but even there you can only do it so many times.

Tournaments I'll do it a little more late if I think it's the only way to get the money in the pot and I have a decent chip lead.

Check raising is just one of the many techniques used in a poker game. If you feel that there is a good chance that the other player might put in a bluff if he senses weekness, you have a shoot. If you know the other player has something and you know you can make a bigger pot by check raising, you have a shoot. This technique however shouldn't be overused. Its good to mix it up, use it sometimes, and other times just raise or check according to the strength of your hand. This makes you very unpredictable, allowing you to see more hands when you don't have it, and well... when you check raise you make a bigger pot... plus check raising could even be a technique used for bluffing which in some occasions has high success rates.

The check-raise should be to get more money into the pot by allowing your oppenents to bet at it. If your on a draw a check raise will chase players out behind you, bad move in my book because you want the odds if you make your hand. If your heads up if a tight game a check raise on a draw might win the pot and if your called you have outs still. in loose games your throwing your money away and especially in wild games. If your in a tourney, this tactic is better used at the later stages. You can use if to get information, if your opponent has been agressive, the check raise might get him off his hand because he is trying to steal many pots uncontested, and some people might give up after they incounter resistance. If it does not get him off his hand and he reraises you, I would throw it away unless you have a very strong hand. Now , take into account this all depends on how well you have assesed your opponent. I like to use it to narrow the field or trap an agressive player, besides that, I usually try to bet my good hands for value.

The main place I will use a check raise is against someone that is LAG that has continually C-Bet the flop without the best hand. Usually works best here because you can put them on a small range of hands and will either push them off that hand or at least take control.

Dating back to the '70s, I played alot of poker in home games with my buddies. Check-raising was never allowed. I'm sure it was a rule in almost all games back then. Once you checked in a round of betting, you could only call or fold in that round. We would play 25 cent antes, with 25 cent min. bets or raises,with $1 max. and a max of three raises per round. So you would see players with weaker hands raising the min. of 25 cents instead of $1 to use up one of the three raises if they knew that another player would have raised $1. But again, once you checked, you could not raise. When I first started playing holdem on line, I was startled to see a check-raise, and thought it was a dirty move, if not illegal. LOL. I have since come to like the added dimension it adds to the game, and use it whenever I see fit, mostly against autoraising bullies.

i have read that new and small stake players use the check raise way to often, and yes thats me. love to give the lag players enough rope to hang themseves.

yes i also use the check raise, but like any other move in poker, its situational. can be very usefull on the right table

I agree with Orifice, I would never check raise the Queen of England....That WOULD be rude, but I would check raise any of you guys/gals.

Nothing wrong with it when it works. Rude, never heard that one before.

When you know you got the best hand and get the chance to c/r. Giver.