Betting/Checking in the dark

[SABRJoe]

I wasn't sure if this belongs here or in the "Pyschology" section, but here it is anyway...

What is everyone's feelings on betting/checking in the dark? Is it a good move? Is it a bad move? Is it poor poker etiquette?

Personally, I think it's a bad play, regardless whether it is poor etiquette or not.

[Cumulonimbus]

Its good for putting people on tilt, especially when you're the chip leader. It creates a wild and crazy table image for yourself, which can lead to extracting more value from your good raising hands (AQ, 99 etc.) It can be very rewarding when you actually catch a hand and play it right.

Plus, it's not like you're raising in the dark with pure crap hands every time, which seems to be the misconception. You could be raising with a hand like 85s which is not that big of an underdog to most hands.

[NYCNative]

"You're disrespecting the game..."

[chopchoi]

It makes you look like you learned the game from watching WPT. I don't see the benefit of it.

[Kevin K.]

Acting in the dark can help to disguise your hand and confuse your opponent a little. Raising in the dark can give the appearance of a very strong holding preflop or a monster holding on the flop or turn whether you have one or not.

Checking in the dark on the flop or turn can cause your opponent to freeze up when you have a drawing hand and check-through allowing you a free card. The reason that this happens is your check in the dark severely hampers their positional advantage. You had to act first, but by checking in the dark, they now have to act first after the next card comes.

I agree that most people who make this move probably make it way too often and/or in the wrong situations.

[Jeebus]

when a game is shorthanded I find checking in the dark to be very useful. It essentially gives you the button for the round. Alot of people overuse it though and that can start to burn you.

[ckff93]

I would never bet in the dark unless I thought my image was too tight.

Occasionally I check in the dark before the flop comes down if I am playing against aggressive players. They almost always make a small bet into me. So if I've hit then I'm in great position and if I've got a draw, I'll get it cheap. This is when I'm playing a live short handed game though, haven't tried it in a ring game.

[Dissident]

Poker all in all is a game of information. either we are giving it or receiving it. Checking or betting in the dark throws a persons mind frame off. They get no information from you. If it disrespects you GREAT!!!! mission accomplished you are now thinking about etiquette and not my hand

[NYCNative]

I did this once before and I probably shouldn't have. I made a big raise out of the SB with slick against players that limped with anything when a small house game tourney was down to four people left. I wanted to win the pot right there and not deal with being outdrawn.

Instead, I got one caller. Since I was already commited at that point given my chip-stack, I threw caution to the wind and said "I'm all in blind" before the dealer put the flop out there. Everyone at the table kind of raised an eyebrow and I just smiled. It was kinda cool.

What sucked was that the flop had a Jack in it and I got called with QJ (I said that these players were playing anything). What was good was that I hit an Ace on the Turn to win it.

I don't know if I'd do this again but it was fun.