What does check mean in poker? In poker, checking means that you remain in the hand without betting. When it is your turn to act and there haven’t been any bets before it gets to you, you can check to allow the action to move to the next player while you still remain in the hand.
Checking is one of three actions you can conduct after the flop. You can either check, bet, or fold.
If everyone checks on the first round of betting, then the next card is dealt and everyone has another chance to bet or check. If someone bets after everyone has checked, then they are said to “check-raise.”
Checking is used as a part of your strategy in a variety of different ways. It is not a simple strategy discussion, so that will be in a different post.
How to Check in Poker?
You can check by making a signal to the dealer that you are checking.
Most players will tap the table a couple of times to indicate a check without having to verbally say ‘check’.
You can also say ‘check’ or ‘go’.
You can also make a clear motion such as looping your finger around in the air to indicate you are checking or nodding your head.
If you do any of these things and the dealer still asks if you are sure you want to check, then you can say ‘yes’ to confirm.
If you check and then someone bets after you, you can still stay in the hand by calling their bet or raising their bet. This means you match their bet and stay in the game, or check-raise.
If you don’t want to call their bet and stay in the game, you can fold. This means you give up your hand and any chance of winning the pot.
