Is Raising Necessary?

I don't want to offend Jade, ReneFox or any of my regular readers, so let me preface this column by saying it is not a repeat.

Yes, I have written articles in the past on this website about the importance of raising. It is one of the most powerful weapons a poker player can use to control a pot and to assure himself of being a winner.

I wrote about a female player who had a seat open next to her. The seat was on her right meaning the player who took it would have to act before she did. Kiddingly, I asked her if she practiced check-raising.

She was horrified at the suggestion.

'Heavens,' she said, 'I don't even raise!'

The table exploded in laughter. She was telling the truth and never raised once during the four hours I played against her.

Raising has its place in poker. There are some players who abuse this weapon by over-using it. They will raise with any ace connected with a card 10 or higher. I am not one of those players.

Deception is also a key ingredient in playing winning poker. Sometimes it is good to simply call with ace-queen or ace-jack suited. If another player raises, you simply call and wait for the flop. if there is a double raise, you have the option of calling or mucking your hand. Sometimes I throw my hand away and sometimes I call.

I have also changed gears, a term used by Doyle Brunson in his best-selling books on poker. Changing gears simply means reversing the way you approach the flop. I may decide to play poker without raising for the first hour or two. This means i simply call regardless of which two cards I am dealt, whether they be aces, kings or a pair of 10s.

Veteran poker players are very observant. If they have played against you in the past, they pretty much know what you will raise or call on. That is why it is important to sometimes change gears or alter the way you play. It can be very beneficial to the health of your bankroll.

A person who just plays premium hands and who never raises is giving away an important part of his arsenal of weapons. The other players know when that individual goes into a pot that he or she is probably playing two high cards and maybe a high pair. If a garbage flop happens, it's easy to steal the pot by coming out betting. I have done this successfully against rock players and i will do it again.

My lady friend who promised not to check-raise me will never be a big winner at poker. It can't happen. She won't take advantage of her good hands and when she does come out betting, the veterans will simply fold.

Poker is a game for all people. Everyone plays it differently and I respect the individuality of the players. The headline on this column is 'Is Raising Necessary?' I say it is and I have over 30 years of play to prove the answer is yes.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).