The Value of a Check-Raise

The Value of the Check/Raise
by The Crazy Snake of Predictem.com

Often times you will find yourself at a table with one or more aggressive types. The more loose aggressive there are the more likely they are to bet anything that isn't nailed down. The difficulty for the players around them is to know when to call, raise, and fold. This is the case in any game in which you find yourself but is especially relevant against the loose aggressive. The importance of each decision becomes amplified by the fact that the next bet and call is going to be larger than you would like it to be in the case of marginal hands.

One technique for upsetting the betting rhythm of loose aggressive's is the check-raise. The effect is two fold. Firstly, it punctuates the pattern of them always being the aggressor, and secondly and more importantly it arrests the sense of control of betting values away from them. The loose aggressive uses intimidation as a weapon. That weapon is being fired back at them at double speed.

So why not just bet? Because you want the loose aggressive to think twice any time you check to them. If you burn them once or twice they might still have control of the table, but not when you're in the hand. You will likely get more free and cheap cards and increase your chances of drawing. This, over time, increases your chances of making more winning hands and thus, winning more pots.

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