In poker, a pot control is technique by poker players try to keep the pot size smaller in situations where they have a strong, but not super-strong hand.
For example, you raise with AT from the early position and get called by the button. The flop comes A-8-J. You bet, and the button snap calls. The turn comes a queen.
You could continue betting here, but many players will opt to check instead to exercise some pot control and not become pot-committed. While your hand is pretty solid, it’s not the kind of hand that will win a massive pot very often.
Thus, by checking, you keep the pot size reasonable, denying your opponent a chance to raise you and making it harder for them to build a huge pot in situations where they have a better hand.
