Mixing the check/raise instead of check/call

#1 February 2nd, 2020, 7:36 PM

It seems that some spots are ideal for a check/raise instead of a check/call, where you have enough equity to continue in the hand, but your hand cannot withstand more pressure without improvement.

Example scenario, you are out of position and the pre-flop raiser in a heads up pot. Flop is K62 rainbow, you have A2s with 1 suit on the board.

If I c-bet and get called, unless I improve to 2-pair, trips or flush draw on the turn I am almost certainly behind and don't really fancy barrelling more money in there on a bluff. If I check and call, it's almost the same scenario but actually slightly worse. Because in this line, if I do pick up the flush draw, now I have to put more money in the pot and I might not river anything. However, with a check/raise on the flop, I can take it down immediately for the same price (or less) of the turn bet that I would have ended up calling in those other lines, and when we do improve on the turn, we've built up the pot to get paid off, which is hard to do in those other lines when you finally do make the flush.

Thoughts?

#2 February 3rd, 2020, 7:51 AM

It can be fine to mix up your strategy and sometimes check-raise as the preflop aggressor. It makes you more difficult to play against, and it prevents you from over C-betting. Of course you should then also do this sometimes for value like on this board with your sets.

#3 February 3rd, 2020, 8:19 AM

This is called semi bluff and if you can pick the right spots is powerful weapon

#4 February 3rd, 2020, 5:32 PM

Often when I like do defend BB and board like that I like to check-raise. But in the spot you said you are oop so probably raise MP and got called button or like that. Then you have to think what's your opponen flatting range from button. Like KT-KQs and 55-TT pairs or like that what they could raise flop. You have to think how many bluff combos there are what they raise on the flop that is this working often enough. In some other spots that check-raise works really often but then you have to play bigger pots and sometimes bluff the whole stack that your opponent can't read you like open book. I wasn't entire sure did I understand the spot right but I hope I did and helped you even a bit.

Mixing the check/raise instead of check/call

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