Poker requires great concentration and mathematical skills to master. It is a game of strategy rather than chance. If you understand the cards, the deck, the rules and its intricacies, you are sure to win a pot.
Being an intriguing game, it requires quite a lot of mental maths. If you think that it is difficult and you might not be able to master it, do not get deterred. Poker might be challenging but not inconquerable.
One needs focus, diligence and persistence to learn and master poker. Only practising and relearning the game of poker from time to time can make you the best poker player.
There are certain actions in a game of poker that are complex and have their intricacies. Understanding the significance and meaning of these actions can make your life easy. Be it call, raise or fold, every action has its importance in poker.
Action taken at the right time will bring the right results. Therefore, for you to play a good game of poker, you have to understand the poker actions in detail.
Call
Call is the minimum bet amount that the player has to match to continue his game. This minimum amount is nothing but the amount matching the wager amount placed by his opponent.
For example, if your opponent has placed a bet of value 10, you call and place exactly a bet of value 10. This is what a call is. You can verbally declare that you call and then put in the chips or you can just put the chips equal to the amount required. Both ways, it is correct and binding on you. You cannot take back your word, you cannot take back your chips either.
When Should You Call in Poker?
You should call when you have a hand that is moderately strong but not strong enough to raise.
Never call when you have a weak hand and are playing against a tight poker player. Tight poker players usually do not bluff and almost always have strong hands. If you call against them consistently, you will lose in the long run.
Never call when you are in the early position of pre-flop. That is when the three community cards have not been shown. You should either fold or raise according to the cards you have. Always call when you have a good hand but not a strong hand.
Even if you feel that the cards you have will lead to a very strong hand, do not call. Instead, raise.
Ultimately, if in a certain round, no player calls, the player who had placed the original bet wins.
Raise
Raise happens when you place a bet that is larger than that of your opponent. You do this in situations where you think your cards are strong enough.
When you raise, your opponents have to either call or re-raise. When they call, they are matching the amount of your raise. If they do not do either, you have to inevitably fold.
You can raise pre-flop or post-flop. Usually, it is advised to raise the bet of the big blind (pre-flop). Pre-flop is the round when the hole cards are dealt after the two blinds. In this round, the player has the option to either call the big blind, raise or fold.
If the big blind was 1, you can raise the bet to 2. A third time if the following player raises, it is called a 3-bet. A re-raise after the 3-bet is called a 4-bet and then a 5-bet and so on.
Post-flop, the amount of the bet resets to zero. In this case, you can either check or raise. If you put in a wager amount, let’s say 2, you are raising. The following players can either call, raise or fold.
Check
Check is when you let the bet pass without putting in any wager amount. You neither call nor raise. You don’t even fold, that’s when you check.
A player can only check in a round when no one else has placed a bet. If some other player has already placed a bet, you have to either call, raise, or fold.
Fold
Fold takes place when you discard your hand and give up your interest in the pot. This can happen when you do not wish to continue. If you have a weak poker hand and have no chance of winning, you can fold rather than call or raise.
Each of the above-mentioned actions has to be performed with care and strategy. Every action has a number of rules and conditions in poker. Poker actions have a significant role to play in the game. If you know when and how to use which action, you will undoubtedly be in the winning position.
Please read the terms and conditions of the online casino carefully and wager responsibly in igaming.
