[nightlyraver]

I believe that check-raising the river is a very powerfull play if done at the correct time. First, as was already said, it only really works against an aggressive player - especially a loose-aggressive player. The correct move on the river is to only bet when you feel that there is a greater than 55% chance that you will win IF CALLED. That said, a tight player tends not to even bet the river unless they have a reasonably strong hand and a rock won't even bet the river unless they have the nuts or close thereto. Both these types of players will not try to bluff at the end unless the situation is optimal (ie. they place you on a specific hand and know that you will probably fold to a reasonably sized bet). However, the loose-aggressive player will bet at the end in many cases that he/she detects weakness. The most that this player will bluff will be when it looks like you missed a draw and were just trying to pick up the pot earlier as a semi-bluff or simply calling. Therefore, you will want to check it to this type of player quite often and raise perhaps 50% of the time when he bets and you feel that you have a greater than 55% chance of winning if he calls your raise, and still a substancial percent chance of winning if he re-raises. You get more bets out of him this way. Also, other players will give you free showdowns more often since they will see you checking the best hand on the end. However, if you do this too often or against the wrong player you will get no extra bets, but you still get the value of the table seeing your check and then watch you show the nuts. Judgement is key as in many situations but if you can put your oponent on a good second best hand and it's one that he will usually bet, this is the optimal time.

Good example:

You hold A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and he holds A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
Flop comes A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
He will love his hand and may either put you on an A w/ a worse kicker or drawing to the flush. A LAG may never even consider the boat, actually. At the end, a check-raise would be a fantastic play if you can put him on an ace. The check on the end indicates you missed your draw, assuming that the flush card never comes, and he will want to bet what he believes is the best hand. Now you can raise and he will DEFINATELY call. In fact, he may re-raise and you still win and get even more bets out of him.