How the betting works, and what options each player has at his/her turn.

The Betting

For all variants, the betting is divided into several rounds (the number varies, depending on the variant). Each betting round is independent of the previous one. In each variant, every player receives a given number of random cards, and the first betting round takes place.

Example:

Depending on the variant, several cards are either discarded and/or dealt, with other betting round in the process. All the bets from the previous betting rounds remain at stake in the center of the table, until the hand is over. As we saw, the hand is over either when there is only one player still in the hand (all the others folded), or when all the betting rounds are done and the players still in the hand show theirs cards to see who has the best combination (this is called the showdown).

What do players bet on? They primarily bet that they will be able to show the best hand at showdown, that is, at the end of the current hand. If they do, they win all the previous bets, including theirs of course. All the bets are collected at the center of the table, to make the pot.

When you bet, other players must at least bet the same amount if they want to be able to contend for the pot, that is, to have the right to show their hand at showdown. If a player doesn’t want to bet, he folds, and gives his cards back to the dealer. The hand is over as far as he is concerned, and he will obviously not be able to win the pot.

If everybody folds after the bettor, he wins the pot without having to show his cards, which is the second way to win the pot at poker (the first being, again, showing down the best hand). We now see the second idea behind bets: betting a high amount will induce other players to fold, letting you take the pot.

Example:

The pot is $15. Player A bets $10. It is player B’s turn; if he wants to stay in the hand, he must at least bet $10 to equalize the last bet. If he does not, he must fold and give up his hand. In that case, if player B was the only opponent of player A still in the hand, then player A wins the pot (he takes his $10 bet back, and takes the $15 pot), and the hand is over. If player B calls the $10 bet, that is, he pays $10, then it’s next player’s turn. If there are only player A and player B remaining, this betting round is over.

If there has been no bet yet in the current betting round, a player is allowed to check. Checking means that you don’t bet anything, or bet “zero”, so to speak. You don’t give your cards back to the dealer, and you stay in the hand. Obviously you are not allowed to check if someone already bet (or if blinds have been posted – more on this later). If everybody checks, then the betting round is over and the game continues as normal.

Important: checking is possible only if there has been no bet yet, blinds included.

Someone can bet a larger amount after the initial bettor; this is called raising. When a player raise, all the players who have not folded yet must bet at least the same amount if they haven’t had the opportunity to bet yet (in this betting round). If they already bet, they must complete their previous bet so that it at least matches the raise. If they don’t want to bet that much, they can fold and give their cards to the dealer. Therefore, the raiser forces the other players to pay a higher price to contend for the pot. If nobody is willing to put that much, he again wins the pot, without showing his cards.

Example:

In our last example, player A bet $10 and it was player B’s turn. Now, instead of folding or calling the $10, player B can raise to $20, that is, he calls the $10 of player A and put another extra $10. It’s next player’s turn, and he now must at least call player B’s $20, or fold. Say the third player, player C, folds, and it’s player A’s turn. Given that he already put $10 in front of him, and that he has $20 to call, this means he must at least add an extra $10 to stay in the hand.

Now, yon are not limited to raising a bettor, but you can also raise a previous raiser. This is similar in all respect to raising the initial bettor.

Example:

When does all this raising madness stop, and when is the betting round over?

Knowing when the betting round is over may look difficult when you start out, but it is very easy once you get the hang of it. The betting round is over simply when all players have either folded or bet exactly the same total amount in the betting round.

Each time a player raises, he challenges the other players to put the same amount, so they have a decision to make. When they all have made their decision (calling or folding), the betting round is over. We note that when a player raises, he faces his opponents with a new problem, so they all have to pronounce themselves again on what they will do.

In other words, the betting round is over just before it’s the last bettor/raiser’s turn again. There would be no sense in him raising his own bet, and he has nothing to call since he already has bet the required amount, so the betting round is over.

Example:

Important: the betting round is over when every player has either folded or put the same amount into the pot as the last bettor/raiser.

It is often best for each player to keep his bets for the current round in front of him, instead of putting his bets directly in the pot, so that one can easily check the amount each player has bet so far in this betting round. When the betting round is over, all the bets can be collected into the pot in the middle of the table.

Summary:

Your options when it’s your turn are folding, checking, betting, calling or raising.

• You fold when you don’t want to pay, either because your chances to win are poor or the price is just too high. Remember that folding is your best option if you simply don’t have much of a hand, or if someone obviously got a very strong hand.
• You can check only if there was no previous bet (blinds included) in the current betting round. This amounts to passing your turn, but you stay in the hand. Useful if you want to see what your opponents will do, but you give them a free chance, too.
• You bet to impose your price to your opponents. You want to bet when you think you have the best hand, or when you estimate that you have good chances to make your opponents fold.
• You call when you agree to pay the price set by the bettor/raiser. You do so when you think you can have the best hand, or when you believe you have enough chances to improve. Calling is the most passive option, as you just accept the conditions of your opponent.
• You raise when you want to set a higher price than that of the last bettor/raiser. Again, this is motivated either by your good hand/prospects, or by the possibility of making your opponents fold. Raising is the most aggressive option, since you show strength after someone already did so.

Related Items:

• Betting Structures
• Going Pro
• Hand Dynamics
• Starting Hands for Limit Holdem
• Starting Hands for No Limit Holdem