Mike Caro

• By Mike Caro | Exit

Why is it so often better to bet than check and call? When you check and your opponent also checks, that usually means you lost an opportunity to profit by either (A) being called with a worse hand or (B) winning the pot outright without being called. Check-check means the second check is more apt to be satisfied than the first.

Note that this advice is targeted specifically at situations when you either have a high likelihood of holding the winning hand or think you might chase away a better hand by betting. I strongly recommend checking-and-calling, instead, if the opponent is too aggressive (a “poker bully”) or your hand falls in the broad spectrum of strength that’s too weak to bet, but too strong to fold against a bet. In those case, check-call often is the most profitable choice.

But when your opponent is likely to just “check along” and you’re probably holding a better hand, then bet. Don’t check.— MC

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