During online play you've likely made use of the Fold/Check button. Using this button basically says, "hey, my hand is worthless, but if somebody is willing to give me a free card I'll take it." Sometimes you use it to take a quick break, or because you're on multiple tables and need to concentrate elsewhere. In any case, there is a hidden danger in that little checkbox. And it can be easily exploited.

When people choose that option they tend to assume they'll either check or fold to some kind of significant bet. However, the bet is often insignificant when compared to the pot. For example, in a micro no-limits game the pot has grown to 80 cents and I decide to make the minimum 2 cent bet. It is hard to consider this is a real bet. It's even harder to say if it indicates anything about my hand. And given 40-1 pot odds it is nearly impossible to believe that anybody should fold.

Yet by selecting the Fold/Check button you may be setting yourself up to unwittingly fold in just this type of situation. There may be some justification for folding -- maybe you actually flopped an impossible hand and have consciously decided to toss it. However, it's more likely that this is a case of significantly miscalculating the odds.

My suggestion is consider doing a minimal bet on the flop rather than a check. Though it may not work frequently, it works often enough to justify the trivial cost. Those tossed hands won't normally buy you the pot outright, though I have seen it happen. In some cases it will knock one or maybe two people out -- enough to alter your chances and give you a look at the next card. That is of course when you'd do this: usually after the flop when you yourself have a checking or folding hand. In my experience it works best in that situation.

Obviously this tactic should lose value as you leave the realm of micro-bets and get into larger pots. I only say "should" as it is a not a guarantee. The option is still there at any level and undoubtedly people are using it. Higher limits do however reduce the possibility of a minimal bet. They also increase the raw value needed; though the bet may small relative to the pot, it may nonetheless be significant when compared to your stack.