Checkraising

[bighomage]

I have read SSH and have seen many posts where a checkraise is suggested, but when it comes down to my play, I hardly ever find myself checkraising. I play strictly 1/2 at Party and I played .5/1 there before that, and checkraises just don't seem right to me because either the street is checked through when I am trying to pick up an extra bet or people will call anyway if I am trying to protect a hand. I have been winning at a very good rate, even though the sample size is admittedly small, and I feel pretty confident with my play. I guess my question is, am I missing out by not using the checkraise at the games I'm playing at? Or are the players at Party microlimits simply too unpredictable and/or uninformed to make the checkraise a good play. I have been playing under the assumption of the latter, but I would like to hear some other opinions.

[Ianco15]

A good time to check raise is when you flopped a great hand/monster and it is likely your opponents floped a good hand. For example say there are 5 limpers and you have 66 in the bb and the flop comes AK6. Also only try for the cr when you're in ep and you are fairly sure your opponents are going to bet (don't try it against weak players).


Ship__It.

[bottomset]

there are 2 main reasons to checkraise

for value

you do this when you have a strong hand, and its likely the player to your immediate left will bet, that way the rest of the field will call the single bet .. you can raise and they'll be likely to call a second bet

b. for protection

you have a strong but vulnerable hand in a fairly large pot in early position, and if you bet out hands like gutshots, bottompair will get the correct odds to call .. to do this you need to be pretty certain that a player in late position will bet so you can raise and force the field to call 2cold .. making it incorrect for gutshots/weak pairs to call(though if they do call its fine, since you make money on it)

[GrunchCan]

You may not CR enough to protect your hands which are marginal to good, but not great.

Here is a good example of a protection CR that you might be missing. Do you see why CRing here is both opportune and better than betting out?

[Megenoita]

Even at the .5/1 level c/r opportunities abound, and should be an important part of your game. I think the 66 hand with A K 6 is a great example. Whenever you flop a good hand and an ace is on the board, count on it to be bet. Whenever there is a PF raiser who is moderately aggressive, expect it to be checked to him where he will bet (I know this sometimes gets checked through, so you do need to bet out if you are in doubt). In short-handed pots, check-raising is important to implement at various times and situations (sorry so vague).

On protecting your hand, a good example is when you have K3o in the BB and you check, 4 others are in the pot, and you flop K 2 J. You should check to see what the action will be like because you don't particularly like your hand although it might be best. If it is bet and raised and comes back to you, easy fold. If it is checked to a LP bettor and now up to you, raise! He could be betting a J, a 2, or 33-99. You are very likely ahead, and can now force others to fold.

I agree that c/r in .5/1 games is going to work less often than in games where people are more aggressive, but you should still find plenty of times to use this tool.

M