Placing Poker Bets

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Gambling Guide

Options for Action in the Betting Round

Assuming that it makes sense to play the hand, the player will then face a more complex decision in every betting round (including the first one). The player must take one of four options, and indicate it by a gesture. (Remember, verbalization is not necessary. The gesture is what counts.)

Fold

The decision to make a prudent exit is indicated by sliding the cards face down in the betting circle. (Remember, do not make any comments, as any utterance could impart information to those who are still playing.)

Check

"Check" is indicated by tapping the table with your finger, indicating no desire to bet further, but a desire to stay in the game (i.e., not fold). This option only exists when no bets have been made since the last time you added to the pot by betting, calling or raising. Again, it is OK to say "check" to be sure the next person understood that you have taken your turn without touching any chips, but the dealer will probably do that for you. In essence, you are taking a "pass." It is the same thing as "calling" without having to "see" another bet or make a raise, and some players will say "call" rather than "check." A term often used in Europe and Latin America is "parole" in some variant (meaning "pass").

Call the Bet

This is also called "seeing" the bet, and it means you match the bet or bets and raises made to that point. It is indicated by putting chips that match the wager in the betting circle.

Raise the Bet

A bet must first be "seen" before it is raised, so by putting chips indicating the match and the raise in the betting circle, there is no doubt about what is going on. To be sure the person to your left understands, it is OK to say "raise" if the dealer does not do it for you. Remember that usually three raises per round is usually the limit.

In limit games, there is no issue about "how much" to bet, but rather just "whether" to bet. The game only permits a bet or a raise in the fixed betting unit defined for that table and that round in the hand.

What You Say When You Bet

Whatever is decided upon - fold, check, bet, raise - the decision taken will surely communicate some information about the player's hand to the opposing players.

Fold - Obviously, "fold" communicates a collection of cards not worth the risk of playing.
Check - A "check" can be very communicative. First of all, it means that the player is staying in the game, even though the hand is apparently worth no more than the investment already made in it. Recall that this option is only available if no additional bet or raise has been made in between the last time the player bet and the current turn. It essentially means that the next action, whatever it is (receiving or revealing an additional card or cards or a showdown) can be accomplished without any additional financial investment on the part of others. "Check" is often referred to as giving the others a free card. Sometimes this is a strategic mistake, and sometimes it is the right course of action.
Bet - Making a bet involves coming to a decision that the hand being held is worthy of a financial risk. It will be made in one of two ways. As the initial bet in a round, it is a statement to the rest of the players that the hand is worth playing (first round) or has become worth playing or is still worth playing (subsequent rounds). The other way a bet is made is by "calling" (matching) the bet of another player, also referred to as "seeing" the bet. The statement made is then comparative: "I think my hand is at least as good as yours." If the player who made the original bet might be bluffing, then by "seeing" the bet, you are "calling a bluff," literally.
Raise - "Raise" is an aggressive move in reaction to the bet of another. It makes staying in the game more expensive for the other players. Like the "call," it makes a comparative statement, essentially affirming that the cards in the raiser's hand are stronger than those of the person making the bet. Obviously, it could be a bluff or a sincere statement.

Knowing how to choose from among these four courses of action is the essence of successful poker playing.

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