This article first appeared in the Sep/Oct 2013 issue of World Gaming magazine.
The immortal words of British pop icons Right Said Fred could well be referring to that cocky internet poker amateur who is too aggressive for his own good. Today I am going to talk about one hell of a sexy poker move but one that will have you losing your shirt if you try it too often or don’t have the skill to pull it off– the check-raise bluff!
Right Said Fred could have been singing about overly aggressive poker players with their 1991 hit single
The check-raise bluff. When used correctly, this is one of the most satisfying plays you can make at the poker table but it requires skill, perfect timing and, most importantly, a hell of a lot of courage. It is also one of those moves I suggest you steer clear of until you feel you have progressed past what I would call “ABC poker” – learning the basics and ensuring you have the fundamentals down-pat. Then and only then should you start messing around with tricks of the trade such as this one. An over-confident beginner trying this move will see his chips disappear faster than a bottle of rum down a sailor’s throat.
The check-raise bluff will only work if your image is tight rather than loose. The perfect poker player is tight aggressive on the surface but with a bag of tricks under the surface biding their time just waiting for the perfect opportunity. If you are an overly aggressive poker player who likes to be table captain (which works for some but spells disaster for most), this tactic isn’t likely to work too often. Likewise, if you are on tilt or have suffered a few bad beats in recent hands then whatever you do, don’t try this move! It is only to be used when all the moons have aligned, you are on top of your game and have the table eating out of your hand.
The basic principle is simple. You check to your opponent, you let him bet and then you re-raise him on a bluff. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Let me promise you it’s not. Here is a list of things to consider.
- You are relying on your opponent doing what you want him to do, which is to lead out. If he checks behind then your plan has already failed.
- Your opponent won’t be folding a monster, so make sure the situation is one where he is likely to be on a bluff himself or holding a hand he can feasibly get away from.
- Your opponent has to be good enough to fold a reasonably strong hand to the pressure you are applying, but not so good that he can usually smell a rat.
- Against solid players, you must be aware of what hand it is you are trying to represent and how believable your story can be, based on your play throughout the hand.
- In a No Limit game, both you and your opponent must have stacks deep enough to accommodate this move.
- Be aware that the pot will usually be quite large at this stage. It’s much harder to force someone to fold when there are a lot of chips to be won.
- Get ready to put on your best showmanship for this hand. A lot of poker players think they can’t be read when in reality it is written all over them.
Poker is a wonderful game that allows you to constantly learn and evolve as a player. This is a fairly advanced technique and one that should be used sparingly. If you start check-raising at will, thinking players will catch on to your ploy and start calling you down light. My suggestion is to pay close attention to hands you aren’t involved in, look for potential opportunities and identify which players are most likely to fold to your check-raise. When watching hands you aren’t involved in, look for the hand to reach showdown so you know whether you correctly identified a good spot. You need the right player, at the right time, but if the stars align and you’ve been paying attention you could very well start pulling off one of poker’s sexiest moves!
