Check-raise
Checking then raising the opponent's bet on the same street
Definition
The check-raise consists of checking when it's your turn to act, waiting for the opponent to bet, then raising their bet on the same street. It's a doubly aggressive action because it signals a strong hand after appearing passive. The check-raise has several goals: extracting value with very strong hands by inducing the opponent's bet before raising it, protecting a strong hand on a dangerous board, or bluffing by representing a very strong hand to fold out the opponent's medium hands. In GTO, the check-raise must be balanced between value and bluffs to avoid being exploitable. The optimal frequency depends on the board texture and the ranges involved. BB vs BTN is the most common check-raise situation because BB is OOP and must defend through aggression.
You check the flop with a set of 7s on a 7-8-9 board. The opponent c-bets 50%. You check-raise to 3x because the board is very coordinated, you want to extract value immediately and protect your hand against the opponent's straight draws.
Frequently asked questions
When should you check-raise?
Mostly out of position, on boards that hit your defending range harder than the opener's — low connected textures in the big blind against a button — and against opponents who c-bet at a high frequency. The line is hard to counter precisely because it mixes very strong hands with draws.
What size should a check-raise be?
Around 3× the opponent's bet on a dry board, and 3.5 to 4× on a dynamic texture where you want draws to pay a steep price. Too small and you offer a fine price to everything that will beat you later; too big and only the hands already dominating you keep paying.