What is it, "Checking dark?"

[SuitedSixes]

Heard this phrase for the first time tonight. I gather it is the first to act saying he's checking no matter what, but why would he do this?

[Toro]

You are correct. Say in HE you are first to act and the dealer hasn't yet turned the card. You say "check in the dark". This means that you've already committed yourself to checking regardless of what card comes.

But I wouldn't recommend doing it. Why decide what you are going to do with incomplete information. Why do players do it? I think mainly it is to try and get their opponents to also check. The rationale is that "gee he checked in the dark so that card might have really helped him, I better check too".

So it's really a neon sign of weakness. I would almost always bet into "check in the dark" player.

Interestingly, I saw the reverse in a big WSOP event recently on ESPN. It was John Juanda and Danny Negreanu, two A-list players heads up in a hand. Juanda had the lead in the hand(think he had top pair/top kicker) and Negreanu had a flush draw.

Before the dealer turned the River card, Juanda stopped him and said I want to bet all-in in the dark. Negreanu looked at him like he had two heads. The river was dealt and it didn't make Negreanu's flush so he folded. I think Negreanu made a comment that that was a pretty stupid thing to do as what if he made his hand. And of course he was absolutely correct.

So I guess my advice is to not bet in the dark. It's -EV.

[highlife]

its checking before seeing the next card, most often used in stud, checking before looking at the river card.

you do that most often if you know your opponent is on a draw and you don't want to be raised on the river, but can get in a checkraise yourself if you hit.

[sfer]

There are plenty of instances where betting dark is +EV, and against the right players it can sometimes generate a call out of spite.

Checking dark also has another whole psychology to it. It can make the game friendlier and it's sort of a jokey, fun thing to do to loosen up the table. Like, I'm in the BB and my hand sucks so bad I check in the dark. In HE you really only get the opportunity to check the flop dark when you're in the blinds.

[The Armchair]

I had a guy a 3/6 Taj table do something like this whenever he was the big blind and the SB folded (or the equivalent when the SB checked). He'd never even look at his cards unless there was a bet to him. For example, there'd be no preflop raise, he'd check his big blind, flop would come down, SB checks, he'd check, and only when a bet came back to him would he find out what he was holding.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why someone would do this. And it's not like he was advertising that he was playing this way; it's just something I picked up on.

[Toro]

You picked up on my typo. I meant to say don't check in the dark. I personally have bet in the dark on many occasions both with made hands and as bluffs.