This is a term that is exclusive to live poker games. It refers to a check or bet that a player makes before even seeing the next card(s) dealt.
More commonly, a player who is first to
act in the next betting round will
call out, "Check in the
dark!" as the
dealer is preparing to
deal the next card(s). Since verbal declarations are binding, the
action on the next round starts on the next player. Of course, the player who checked
dark does not get last
action, but that player can check-
raise, and that is the thinly veiled hammer one wields when choosing this
line. In many cases, a check in the
dark on the
river means that a
passive player is chasing a
draw.
One can also bet in the
dark as a show of strength, conveying the idea that one's hand is so powerful it doesn't matter what the next card brings.
Actions declared in the
dark are typically viewed as "theatrical" moves, drawing attention to the player (both positive and negative). One can
exploit this to build up an "actor" type table
image and induce
loose calls.
Example: eg - Hero holds TPTK in EP and checkraises a rainbow flop. Unfortunately, he still gets multiple callers. In an attempt to narrow the field with scare tactics, Hero throws out a handful of chips before the dealer has even cleared the table of cards and chips, declaring, "Bet 50 in the dark."
Created by
ChezJ on 14 Oct, 2009
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