What Does Check Mean in Poker?

A check in poker is an important move which could signify anything from you giving up your hand, to you trying to get more information, or even setting a trap when you have the nuts.

So what exactly is checking in poker, and how you do it? We’ll walk you through the ins and outs, including when you should and shouldn’t check. We’ll be focusing on a standard Texas Hold’em setup, as that’s the most common game you’ll play – but it will mostly apply to any type of poker.

What Does Check Mean in Poker?

To check in poker is to basically do nothing when it’s your turn. That’s it.

You’re not throwing your cards into the muck, or sticking in a fat wad of chips. You’re simply moving action to the next player without having changed anything.

To briefly step aside from poker terms, it’s like saying: “After you, kind sir/m’lady” to the next player.

Checking is very common in poker, and is definitely not always a sign of weakness or bad play. When used at the right times, a check can quite often be the correct decision.

To check in live tournament poker, you can say the word “check” or you can tap the table.

All the best online poker sites will have a button that says “Check”. Handily, it only appears when you can use it, so you can’t accidentally check after somebody’s already bet.

When You Can & Can’t Check

Let’s have a look at some situations to help you understand when this move is allowed. If you’re new to the game, it’s worth learning how to play poker and familiarizing yourself with the rules before anything else.

❌Pre-flop

To take part in a hand of Hold’em poker, you need to put in a number of chips equal to or greater than the big blind.

When you check, you put in no chips. This means that you can’t check pre-flop.

The only exception is if you’re sitting in the big blind and nobody else raises. When the action comes to you, you have two options:

Check and see a flop
Raise and put the action back on your next opponent

❌Post-flop

After the flop, turn or river and when it’s your turn to act in poker, there will be two or three possible options at your fingertips.

The first trio of options will be:

Fold
Call
Raise

These are the options you’ll have if somebody has bet before you in that particular round of betting.

Notice – no option to check there.

But, if nobody has bet yet, you’ll only have two options:

Check
Raise

Remember, checking is when you don’t put any chips in but you also don’t fold. If all players are on the same page, the action can check round and the next card will be dealt.

An Example of When You Can Check

Let’s say you pick up 10-9 off-suit under the gun (meaning you’re the first one to act). You can call the big blind, raise it, or you can fold.

You have no option to check, because you haven’t put in that pre-flop minimum bet, which gets you involved in the first place.

But let’s imagine you’re feeling a little racy, and you decide to raise that 10-9 hand (not recommended). Two players call you. The flop comes out A-K-3, and you realize you don’t have much chance of winning.

You don’t have to fold, because nobody has bet (yet). You also don’t need to put any chips in the pot to carry on.

Instead, you can check to your opponent, and see what they do.

From the flop onwards, there is no rule that says players have to make a bet – so you could check round on the flop, turn and river and reveal your hands without another chip hitting the pot.

Tips For When You Should & Shouldn’t Check Your Hand

Poker is a complicated game, so there are all sorts of nuances about when to check.

Here, we’ll give you four tips on when you should and shouldn’t check – but just remember that rules are made to be broken!

❌Don’t check when you have an overpair to the draw

You finally pick up A-A, and you don’t want to scare off your opponents. After your opponent calls pre-flop and on the flop, the turn opens up some straight and flush draws. Now is the time to avoid checking as you might give them a free shot to hit their draw and crack your aces.

✅Check when you’re first to act in multi-way pots

If four or five players all get involved, it becomes tricky to pinpoint who has what and to nail down your odds of winnings. Even if you hit top pair on the flop, it’s often better to check-call than to come out betting. With so many players, you could be up against two pair or trips. Checking helps control the size of the pot.

✅Check to set a trap…sometimes

Checks in poker can be a sign of a player believing their hand is weak. This means you can use the check as part of your poker strategy to pretend you’re weak and induce a bluff from your opponent. Don’t overuse this, though, as many players will check behind and you could miss out on value from half-decent hands which would have called your bet, but aren’t strong enough to bet themselves.

❌Don’t check behind with the nuts on the river

This last one is only for complete newbies, but on rare occasions you’ll see a player with the very best possible hand try to check when there’s been no river bet and nobody else is left to act. This can actually be illegal, because there’s no logical reason not to bet! Of course, if there are players still to act behind you, you’re well within your rights to check to them and hope they bet.