Checkraise in Tournaments

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Checkraise in Tournaments

from Shakin65

A tool for playing postflop, used very often in tournaments, is the
checkraise. One checks the flop, turn or river in order to raise an
opponent's bet. Depending on the size of the pot and the stack sizes
involved in the hand, this could either be a standard raise or an
all-in. We are going to analyse situations in which a checkraise is
recommended and go through some examples.

When contemplating a check/raise, the following factors play an important factor:

Preflop-action: When hero was the preflop aggressor, the
likelihood of the other opponents checking as well after hero checked
are high. The preflop aggressor should therefore bet the flop if he hit.
Reads: If you have very good reads on the players in the
hand, meaning that you could expect someone to bet after you checked,
you could contemplate checking on the flop as well.
Texture of the board: Depending on how draw heavy the board is and how many opponents there
are in the hand, you have to evaluate whether the risk of a potential
free card is counteracted by the additional value. You could also be in
a situation where a free card would be favourable to your. For example,
if you are on a draw yourself. Depending on the stack size and the
strength of the draw, you could either raise a bet from your opponent
or fold.
Number of opponents: The more opponents there are in the hand, the higher the chance of someone betting after you checked.
Position: The
earlier the position of hero, the more he could think about
check/raising. The later hero's position is, the more you have to
evaluate the risks connected to a check.

EXAMPLE 1

Party Poker 33$ Turbo No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t20/t40
10 players

Stack sizes:
UTG: t2120
UTG+1: t2080
UTG+2: t2040
MP1: t1940
MP2: t1940
MP3: t2060
CO: t1900
Button: t1940
SB: t1960
Hero: t2020

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is BB with 5 K
4 folds, MP2 calls t40 (pot was t60), 4 folds, 4 folds, Hero checks.

Flop: 5 T K (t100, 2 players)
Hero checks, MP2 bets t120, Hero raises to t320, MP2 raises to t800, Hero raises all-in t1620, MP2 calls all-in t1100.
Uncalled bets: t40 returned to Hero.

Turn: 2 (t3900, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t3900)

River: 7 (t3900, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t3900)

Results:
Final pot: t3900
MP2 shows Ks Th
Hero shows 5h Kh

The conditions for check/raising are very good in
this case. Hero wasn't the preflop aggressor. The board is not very
draw heavy. He didn't have any reads, except that villain didn't seem
to be a regular. On the 33$ turbos, many players see the opportunity of
taking down the pot on the flop by betting. You could have cold called
after the raise as well. However even loose players tend to be careful
after their bet is called, which was a little larger than pot size in
this case. Therefore check/raising is a good option. A TP would mostly pay you off in these situations on this limit. The opponent had top two pair unfortunately though.

EXAMPLE 2

Party Poker 55$ Turbo No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t20/t40
10 players

Stack sizes:
UTG: t2000
UTG+1: t2000
UTG+2: t2000
MP1: t2000
MP2: t2100
MP3: t2000
CO: t2000
Button: t1980
SB: t1920
Hero: t2000

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is BB with 7 9
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to t80, 3 folds, MP3 calls t80 (pot is t140), 3 folds, Hero calls t40 (pot is t220).

Flop: 8 6 T (t260, 3 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets t200, MP3 calls t200 (pot i t460), Hero raises all-in t1920, UTG+1 calls all-in t1720, MP3 folds.

Turn: 3 (t2580, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t4300)

River: 2 (t2580, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t4300)

Results:
Final pot: t2580
UTG+1 shows Kd Kc
Hero shows 7c 9c

Calling the minraise preflop is not my standard
line. This time there are two opponents in the hand and I am holding
the nuts on the flop. As the preflop aggressor has to act after I do,
a check/raise is definitely a good option here.

I would have cold called if the second opponent hadn't called the bet
from the preflop aggressor. The board is a little dangerous. However the risk and reward ratio would have been very good against one
opponent. The cold call from the second player suggests that he hit the
flop in one way or another as well. Furthermore the 600$ already in the
pot causes me to check/raise all-in. This is a good example of why you
shouldn't min raise KK. I would have rarely called a standard raise
preflop.

EXAMPLE 3

Party Poker 22$ Turbo No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t20/t40
10 players

Stack sizes:
UTG: t2000
UTG+1: t2220
UTG+2: t1780
MP1: t2000
MP2: t1980
MP3: t1580
CO: t1720
Button: t2360
SB: t2360
Hero: t2000

Pre-flop: (10 players) Hero is BB with 5 5
UTG calls t40 (pot is t60s), UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 calls t40 (pot is t100), 3 folds, CO raises to t80, Button calls t80 (pot is t220), SB folds, Hero calls t40 (pot is t300), UTG calls t40 (pot is t340), UTG+2 calls t40 (pot is t380).

Flop: 3 2 5 (t420, 5 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, UTG+2 bets t320, 2 folds, Hero raises all-in t1920, UTG folds, UTG+2 calls all-in t1380.
Uncalled bets: t220 returned to Hero.

Turn: Q (t3820, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t3820)

River: 9 (t3820, 0 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t3820)

Results:
Final pot: t3820
UTG+2 shows 9d Td
Hero shows 5h 5c

I call preflop with my PP due to the odds. I hit
my set on a drawy flop. As I am first to act with four players behind
me, including the preflop aggressor, and since it doesn't happen very
often that everyone checks on the 22$ SNGs, I decide to check. After
one opponent bet, the only choice left is to check/raise all-in since
the pot is very large and the board is very draw heavy. Even if one opponent already has a flush, I still have some outs left for my full house or quads.

EXAMPLE 4

Party Poker 55$ Turbo No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t30/t60
9 players

Stack sizes:
UTG: t2080
UTG+1: t1840
Hero: t2280
MP2: t4260
MP3: t1940
CO: t1800
Button: t1930
SB: t1650
BB: t2220

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is MP1 with K A
2 folds, Hero raises to t240, 2 folds, CO calls t240 (pot is t330), 3 folds.

Flop: 4 4 K (t570, 2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets t360, Hero raises to t840, CO raises all-in t1200, Hero calls t720 (pot is t2610).

Turn: 7 (t3690, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t3690)

River: T (t3690, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t3690)

Results:
Final pot: t3690
Hero shows Ks Ah
CO shows Qc Kh

I hit TPTK on a pretty safe board as the preflop
aggressor. I will pretty much always have the best hand on such a flop.
I would rarely extract value by betting the flop straight away. A free
card as well as a ½ potsized bet on the turn or a checkraise would be my options after checking.

EXAMPLE 5

Party Poker 22$ Turbo No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t30/t60
9 players

Stack sizes:
Hero: t1770
UTG+1: t1800
MP1: t1830
MP2: t3900
MP3: t1850
CO: t1840
Button: t1850
SB: t3070
BB: t2090

Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is UTG with A Q
Hero raises to t180, 4 folds, CO calls t180 (pot is t270), 2 folds, BB calls t120 (pot is t450).

Flop: K K J (t570, 3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, CO bets t240, BB folds, Hero raises all-in t1590.
Uncalled bets: t1590 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: t810

After my preflop raise, I have the nut flush draw
as well as a gutshot on the flop. Note that you have to discount one or
two outs because the board is paired. As one opponent already checked
and since a continuation bet would strain hero's stack, I prefer to
check. If I had bet, I wouldn't have been able to fold to a push. I am
planning to check/raise if someone bets in order to create as much fold
equity as possible and because it is always better to push with a draw
yourself than calling an all-in.

EXAMPLE 6

Party Poker 33$ Turbo No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t50/t100
7 players

Stack sizes:
Hero: t1850
UTG+1: t2490
MP1: t1980
CO: t4150
Button: t6630
SB: t1750
BB: t1150

Pre-flop: (7 players) Hero is UTG with K K
Hero raises to t300, 3 folds, Button calls t300 (pot is t450), 2 folds.

Flop: Q 6 3 (t750, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t600, Hero raises all-in t1550, Button calls t950 (pot is t2900).

Turn: 4 (t3850, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t3850)

River: 5 (t3850, 1 player + 1 all-in - Main pot: t3850)

Results:
Final pot: t3850
Button shows 8h Qd
Hero shows Ks Kd

The opponent had been super aggressive up until now. My image was pretty tight though. Regrdless of whether he actually hit the flop or not, the
likelihood of him folding to my bet or betting himself if I show some
weakness was very high.

EXAMPLE 7

Party Poker 55$ Turbo No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t50/t100
8 players

Stack sizes:
Hero: t1830
UTG+1: t2360
MP1: t1760
MP2: t1080
CO: t1870
Button: t4850
SB: t1815
BB: t4435

Pre-flop: (8 players) Hero is UTG with 8 8
Hero raises to t250, 4 folds, Button calls t250 (pot is t400), 2 folds.

Flop: J 8 3 (t650, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t300, Hero calls t300 (pot is t950).

Turn: 2 (t1250, 2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets t400, Hero raises all-in t1280, Button folds.
Uncalled bets: t880 returned to Hero.

Results:
Final pot: t2050

I hit my set on a pretty safe board as the preflop
aggressor. In order to extract more value, I abstain from betting. If
there had been a free card on the flop, I would have bet on the turn. I
only cold call the bet from my opponent with the intention of betting the
turn if a dangerous card hits the board.

However, since the turn is not a dangerous card, I decide to check
again. The pot is large enough on the turn after my opponent's bet so
that I can push straight away. Another slow play on the river wouldn't
have extracted any more value from the opponent because he would have
acted more cautiously after I cold-called twice.