Placing bets in a game of poker comprises of various things. You can call, raise, check, fold or even have to open the round. On this page, Big Ace Poker tries to explain all these.
Call
A call bet is to match a bet or a raise. If you are the first player in the round to call, you have to place an amount equal to the largest opening bet, otherwise you have to match the largest bet made in the round thus far.
Checking
Checking is a way of saying: I’ll wait and see what happens! However, you can only check if there has been no betting before you, i.e. no-one has opened the round. If you have checked, when all the other players have placed their bets, then you are required to place a bet or fold. If all the players check, then the next round starts without bets being placed.
Fold
Folding is probably the most straight forward. If you fold, then you are out of the game. You return your cards to the dealer face down who then adds them to the muck. However, you can only fold if it is your turn to act, folding out of turn is not only so very wrong, but could lead to very serious bodily harm from other players in the game.
Jokes aside, folding out of turn could possibly give a player who acts after you to have an advantage over the player who acted before you. So, just wait your turn.
Open The Round
Opening the round is the first round of betting which is also referred to as opening the pot.
Depending on the type of Poker and the table being played at, the opening round may require a certain amount to be put into the pot to open the round.
For example, in Texas Holdem, there is the Small and the Big blind that are required to open the round with amounts that are set by the table limits, which are called Forced Bets.
Raise
This is when a player raises the bet to a new amount that other players either have to call or raise on. Most tables have a minimum value that you can raise by. This prevent players raising with small amounts such as 10 cents on a $50-%$100 table. When a player does raise, he has to place the value of a call bet as well as the value of his raised bet into the pot. This is a strategic move if you want other players to think that you have a very good hand, when you don’t, and even better when you do have a good hand.
Hopefully this clears up a great deal of the confusion that is often associated with placing bets in poker.
