Checking to induce
When you check you’ve given up not only on the pot but on life itself? That’s common poker knowledge and, on the whole, is correct and that’s exactly why it’s something that you can exploit given the right kind of action and board.
Say you’ve raised with Qd-Qs from early position pre-flop and have been called by the cut-off and the big blind. It’s early in a tournament so deep-stack poker rules apply and it’s very possible that your opponents have called with a wide variety of hands. The flop comes Qc-9d-6c, which is obviously a lovely flop as you’re currently holding the stone cold nuts – although you are still vulnerable to draws. The big blind checks and you bet two-thirds of the pot on the flop, as you have been every time you’ve opened the pot, and the cut-off calls. The big blind passes his pocket Eights. You suspect the cut-off is on a draw with two clubs, 8-7, or the hand that people love to see a flop with, J-T.
The turn is the Ah. This completes neither draw but it does bring a scare card. But is it really a scare card? Unless you think your opponent was calling you with something like 9-T it’s likely that his holding will almost force him to call a half-pot bet on the turn, as you’re both still relatively deep-stacked. If he’s got a flush draw or open-ended straight draw he’s likely to pay over the odds to connect. He can still make a play at the river if he misses, right? And that’s exactly what you’re counting on.
Checking the river
Whatever the river delivers a check should be strongly considered. If a card arrives that brings the draw your opponent either has it or not. By betting you’re opening yourself to a major bluff on the river which may force you to drop your hand. By checking you also open yourself to a bluff but one that you can profitably pick off, as your check will allow many missed draws to take a stab at the pot – and as we know many bluffs are oversized. Juicy!
If the river card is a complete blank, let’s say the 4d, then you’re laughing. Okay, you may miss some value by not betting, but the range of hands and the size of the bet that will be called is smaller than the bet made by someone bluffing the river with a busted draw. And if they’ve been slow-playing a set of Sixes all along then you’re in clover!
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