Check to the raiser.

[slavic]

A couple posts this morning detail checking to the pre-flop raiser on the flop. It's my feeling that this is just wrong. I will check to the raiser if I can use their position to make the field face 2 bets cold, or get the field on the payment plan, whichever I need at the time. In a lot of cases though I'm betting my hand to see how the PFR and the field reacts. Often enough I have the best hand (mainly because I play tighter than my opponents) and I'm able to defend my hand and the pot with aggressive flop play, versus facing 5 callers on the turn and river.

Thoughts?

[crockpot]

sounds about right to me. if the pre-flop raiser is aggressive and close to my direct left i will bet into him hoping for a raise to thin the field. if he is in late position i usually hope to go for a check-raise.

unfortunately most typical online players will just flat call if they miss the flop with two big cards, so i will often check to them if they are on my direct left.

[thomastem]

Checking like this adds to those runner, runner suck outs. Then after they get all these bad beats they write posts about how the poker sites conspire against them.

A check-raise to thin the field or to build a pot for those flush and open-ended straight draws are occassionally correct. I really think the check-raise is more potent on the turn so I would agree with usually betting out on the flop.

[hockey1]

This is exactly right.

[Bob T.]

In multiway pots, it is often incorrect to expect that the preflop raiser will make a bet. Additionally, even if the raiser is to your right, ( he was the button, and you are in the blind ) you can use him as leverage by betting out, and the inbetween players have to decide whether or not they want to face a possible raise and maybe three bet on your part if they call the first bet. This often has the advantage of eliminating players for a single bet, instead of taking the chance that the hand will get checked through when you go for the checkraise.

I also, can't find the passage right now, but I believe that it says in HPFAP that checking to the raiser, is frequently a mistake in multiway pots.

Headsup, is of cours a completely different story, because trapping your opponent for additional bets is such a big part of the game.

[Louie Landale]

Routine check to the raiser makes sense only if he's very likely to bet. Routine bet to the raiser (with a hand) makes sense if he's very likely to RAISE no matter what. Routine bet to the raise (with little) makes sense if he's going to fold right now.

A good over-all approach is this: if you really don't know what to do just pretend there was no raise preflop, except to note that in raised pots most other players "check to the raiser".

- Louie

[GuyOnTilt]

I agree with everything you say here. The only time I will check to the raiser is if:

1) I'm going to check-fold.
2) I'm planning on check-raising to make the field face 2 bets cold (i.e. the raiser is on my right).
3) I'm planning on check-raising to trap the field for extra bets (i.e. the raiser is on my left).
4) I'm check-calling a draw (i.e. the raiser is on my left, I have no outs to clean up, and a check-raise has no value).

[Mike]

Only a small addition to the previous comments.

I do this also, but at times I prefer to have PFR halfway across from me if that makes sense, for those times when I want to thin the field, but I want to do it selectively.

We are in a hand. Say I want you out of the hand, and you are on my left one player down. If I am first, I check planning you will bet, PFR hopefully raises you, and I can come over the top making you face two bets cold as if your initial bet didn't happen. Of course this has the condition that I want you out more than PFR because you play a tougher game. Of course with the best plans, the players don't always cooperate, but when they do it usually has good effect.