[Shillx]

When you are looking to check/raise a street, you should have a plan in place before you even see a flop. You basically need...

1) The right number of players in the pot. You are usually looking for a HU or 3-way pot.

2) The right type of opponent(s).

3) The right type of board.

4) The right size pot. Namely a small pot.

Going for a check/raise in the hand you present is pretty silly. This pot is damn big and you risk a check through by going for a check/raise here. That would be okay if the pot were 3 BB, but certainly not when the pot is 12 BB. Play straight forward in big pots dude. Let me give you an example of where you would be looking for a check/raise.

You open pop AK [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] in EMP. An decent player coldcalls on the button and you take a flop HU.

Flop: K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 8 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

You bet and he calls.

Turn: 2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

You check with the intention of raising. Why?

1) The pot is small. If he checks behind it isn't a big loss. It also might encourage him to call on the river where he might have folded if we bet again on 4th street. If the pot were big, we would obviously want to bet to prevent giving a free card.

2) This is the type of player who might fold if we bet again. Against a calling station you would never try a play like this, but not so against a decent player.

3) The board is drawless so he probably has a pair when he calls the flop. If he is probably calling with a draw you would want to bet again. When he probably has a pair, he is more likely to bet when you check so there is a good chance that he will bet either a 3 or 5 outer when we check here. There is also a good chance that he will payoff since we played our hand oddly. He wants to see what we will do this with.

Hope this helps,
Brad