How to know when to check

The general school of thought among Poker Holdem players us that checking a bet is a bit of a cop out, yet that is a theory that might not be true, at least not in every case. In the long term a player who constantly checks and tries to limp in to the flop every time will soon be read by the rest of the players on the table, and see their chip stack gradually whittled down by having to post antes and blinds.

Ultimately a player who doesn't feel that their hand is strong enough to bet will check their hand in an attempt to see the flop and conserve their chips. Obviously positioning plays a big part of who can succeed in checking and getting away with it, especially in pre-flop mode.

Post flop, players who bet or even raised pre-flop can also check to get a feel on how the hand is progressing. Let's say that they came in with two hole cards that had promise, which failed to materialise. Rather than bet they will check in the hope that their hand will improve on fourth street without any further outlay. At the same time a player who limped in on the blinds, or checked pre-flop will suddenly see an improvement in their hand through the three community cards and might even bet or raise. Players who checked pre-flop and raise post-flop can really confuse the opposing players, especially if they do so incontinently.

Players, who have a strong hand and don't want to call, can always decide to check. This kind of play calls for a reaction from the other players left in the hand. They may see it as a sign of weakness and overbet as a response, in which case they will have fallen into a very nice trap, and to the victor goes the spoils.

Like every action in Holdem Poker checking has its advantages and disadvantages. The secret for any successful player is to understand how to play the advantages and play down the disadvantages.