Like I said in my other comment, there is no right or wrong answer. It's all situational. These guys that sell online poker guides saying you can quit you job and become a pro overnight following their "foolproof poker method" are scammers. If the table is playing tight, a check raise wont work, sometimes a min raise gets everyone to fold unless they have big slick or KK, QQ, JJ, etc. Then again, if I'm at a table like that I ask for a move right away and fold most hands until I move. No point leaving money at a table I'm about to walk away from. If I'm playing with noobs I check raise them out of their rent money. Then again with noobs they might call with a 7-4 offsuit and hit the inside straight or quads or god knows what else. It's a chance you take. If I'm playing pros (and I've played against a few of them), I might pull the check raise once, but I know better than to run with it. A seasoned player will throw some money in the pot just to see how you play, especially at Potawotomi, the limits are too low to scare off a fishing expedition. The moral is, there are too many variables to say a specific play is right in any situation. The only SOLID advice for noobs is, play some hands with yourself, until you are good enough to calculate your outs on the fly. Watch the table, and instead of focusing on your hand, determine how many hands can beat you, do you have 1st nuts, second nuts, or are you chasing? A lot of pros will throw away 5s to a min raise pre-flop, I wont. If I think I can get heads up against an AJ offsuit from someone who is short stacked, I will shove knowing the odds are in my favor. My way isn't the right way, but I make good money, 50-60,000/yr playing a few nights a week