no free cards!

Many players love the check-raise, and it hurts their game.
It hurts the most when it backfires and gives your opponents a free card because no one bets.

A great example came in a recent 15/30 game. I was the big blind with 66. A late position player raised, and we saw the flop 6 handed.

The flop came K, K, J, a horrible flop for 66. I checked, and it checked around. If someone had breathed on the pot, my hand was going in the muck, but I love a free card.

The turn was a beautiful 6, which happened to put two hearts on the board. I felt confident that one of my opponents was slowplaying a King, and was a little afraid that someone might be slowplaying a big full house, but, not wanting to check my full house, I bet. I was called in two spots.

The river was the 9 of hearts. I bet, got called, then the other player raised! Knowing my full house was far from boss, I called, as did the player in the middle.

The raiser showed A,6 of hearts for the nut flush - he was drawing dead and got there. My other opponent tossed his hand in the muck when he saw my full house, shaking his head, knowing that if he had bet his king on the flop, he would have won a small pot instead of losing a big one.