Check raising in spread limit games.....

[qazplok]

Is there any reason to check raise in a spread limit game? Or do you bet the max with a good hand? ( but then your not hiding the quality of your hand?) help please?

[J.A.Sucker]

Check-raising can frequently be correct, especially if the pot is relatively small compared to the bet that the player is facing after your checkraise. For example, in a 20-200 spread limit game, the pot is frequently about 140 bucks. You flopped top pair. There are three opponents. You act first. You check, the next guy checks, the last guy bets (as you felt he would) about 80 bucks. The pot is 220; if you make it 200 more, then the guy in the middle would be hard pressed to call with an open-end straight draw or a flush draw. If the other guy calls you down with a worse kicker, then you really win, too. Either way, by checkraising, you will likely win the pot on the flop, but collect the extra bet from the evil third guy. If you just bet out 150, then you wouldnt' have gotten that 80. Make sense? It depends a lot on the true quality of your hand.

My favorite scenario in a spread limit game is to win on the flop with nothing. Suppose I have AQo. Three people saw the flop, which was raised by me in position. They check to me, the pot's about $250 and the flop is K-X-Y. I fire 200 at the pot. They fold their pocket pairs. I win, because I "obviously have AK."