Poker Tips from Bodog.com: Check-Raising and Slow-Playing Check-raising and slow-playing are creative plays available to you on the flop. Both these moves are used to deceive your opponents and make them think you are weaker than you actually are. For either of these plays to work you will need to hold a strong hand. Of these two plays you will most likely check-raise more, especially in limit hold'em games. When you check-raise you need to have a strong hand on the flop and you must be sure that there will be action behind you. Use your knowledge of the game's texture to gauge the aggression at your table. If you are quite sure someone will bet behind you then check to that player and raise him when the action gets back to you. This is easy and very effective in low limit hold'em games where people like action. Slow-playing requires you to lay more of a trap and should be used less often because more variables need to be met. In addition to holding a strong hand, the table needs to be passive, to the point where on this particular hand you're sure that a small raise on the flop will drive opponents out. But, before you check take a second look at the board and make sure that the free card has a good possibility of making someone the second best hand and very little chance of making an opponent a better a hand.