Check (Poker)

Check is the term used to indicate that a player does not want to make a bet. The term is only used where no previous bet has been made. In poker a player must at least match a bet made by a player acting before them. On occasion when a player makes a raise, a player acting after this action can either ‘fold’ their hand (through it away – not match the bet), ‘call’ the bet (match the previous bet) or re-raise (make a larger bet).

Only where players have checked round the table (.i.e. no bet has been made by any player when the action reaches you) would you be able to ‘check’ the hand.

The ‘Check’ is often looked at as a sign of weakness in poker as it indicates that a player may not have a big enough hand to warrant posting a bet. This is often used to trap players as this often induces a bluff or semi bluff from an opponent only to be re-raised by the trapping player (known as the check-raise).