Your Turn (Action)
Poker
is a game of action. When it is your turn for action, there are a number of
things you can do. Here we will look at your options and begin discussion on
reasons for taking each action.
Opening: If you are playing No Limit you will often
times hear the expression Open the potı. Opening the pot means you are the
first person to act by betting a given amount. In general, if you hear that
someone just opened the pot, they have done more than just called the big
blind, they have raised to a certain amount. A common opening amount in NL is a
raise 3 times higher than the big blind. Betting is the act of placing your
chips into the pot and claiming ownership. If no one else at least calls your
bet you win the pot, you now own it. You can also open the pot in limit holdem
as well, it is just more common to here the phrase when playing no limit.
Reasons for Opening
You
should open a pot whenever you think you have the best chance of winning the
hand. This doesnıt mean that you never open with a weak hand. As all actions in
poker, they are dependent on the situation. Some tables you can get away with
limping in with J/10 suited from early position some you canıt. Watching
higher stakes tournaments, pots are normally opened by a raising the big blind.
Generally you open when you have a strong starting hand or that the game
conditions allow you to cheaply play drawing hands. If you are later in
position, or at an extremely tight table with a bunch of rocks, you can open
the pot on a bluff just to steal the blinds. This is most effective from late
position. The question of, ³How much do I raise to open the pot with?² is a
question for the forum.
Calling: Calling is when someone has bet before you and
you match the amount of chips that they bet. Calling is done when you wish to
continue in the hand but do not wish to raise. If someone before you bets $5
dollars and you have a drawing hand that you would like to continue playing you
simply match that $5 and the action continues to the person on your left.
Reasons for Calling
You call bets because you want to see another card, or because
you feel that someone behind you will raise and you will have the opportunity
to re-raise. This calling with the intention to re-raise can be effective if
you have a super aggressive player to your left and you youıve got a monster
and you want to get as much money in the pot as possible. This tactic will trap
everyone in between the super aggressive player and yourself into contributing
money into the pot when they would have folded if you were the one originally
raising.
Often, you will want to see another card but you donıt want to raise the pot. On strong drawing hands it is often smart to call a bet because of the pot odds. Keep in mind that as you set your standards as to when you should call you normally need a stronger hand to just call a bet than you do to raise it. Calling is a passive play.
Raising: Raising is when you increase the amount of
money everyone else at the table has to put into the pot to continue in the
hand. When it is your turn for action you raise the pot. Generally if you are
playing Limit, raises will be in set increments. No limit you can raise as much
as you choose. Calling a bet is not raising, even though there is more money in
the pot. From our example above, in limit a raise would be making it $10 to go
instead of just calling the $5. That means that all the players after you have
to put $10 into the pot to continue their hand with the exception of the
original raiser. He has to match the $10 youıve put in but he already has $5 in
the pot from this same round of action, so he only has to put $5 more in to
call.
Raising is an aggressive move, and aggression is rewarded in
poker. Raising not only gives you the opportunity to win the pot right there,
but it can give you valuable information about your opponents. If you think
your opponents are on a draw, you should raise to make it cost as much as
possible to complete the draws. If you think your opponent will fold to a raise
and you want to win the pot right there, raise. If you want to find out the
strength of your opponent, you can raise. If they re-raise you have to fear
that they have a strong hand. If they just call you have to use your best judgement
as to what they are holding.
If you are on a draw and in late position, you can raise to see
a free card. For example you have 4 to your flush on the flop and an early
position better bets. When the action gets to you, you raise it up with the
hopes that on the turn, where the bets are larger, it will be checked to you.
You now have the option of checking and seeing the river for freeı. Of course,
you could also bet again on a semi-bluff and possibly win the pot there.
Contrast this with the passive move of just calling a bet on the flop. The turn
comes and it is very likely that whomever bet on the flop will bet on the turn,
and now you have to pay 1 big bet to see the river.
Checking: Checking means that you can pass on betting or
folding, but reserve the right to respond if there is any action after you in
that round. Checking can only be done if there is no bet that you have to at
least call to stay in the hand.
Reasons for Checking
There are many reasons for checking. You should check if your hand is beaten and you know it and you know your opponent knows it. This is a check/fold situation. Often times you will check if you are in early position and you know the flop helped out the competition a whole lot more than it did to you. If you want to see a free card to help complete your draw you can also check. A check is a passive move, except when you utilize its one unique feature the check raise.
Check
Raising: Check Raising is when
you check your first opportunity to act because you believe someone will bet
after you and you would plan to re-raise them. Check raising is a 2 part move
and requires action from your opponents to be executable.
Reasons for Check Raising
The check raise an extremely
aggressive move in poker and it conveys powerful hand strength. The check raise
is a risky maneuver. The check raise is a two step process, you check your
first opportunity to bet in that round and then if you get a second
opportunity, you raise. There is no guarantee that someone after you is going to
bet and give you the option to check raise, it could possibly be checked
around. The check raise is certainly a valid arsenal to employ in your poker
game. It keeps people from trying to steal with a bet on the button after you
checked. A well timed check raise will keep the competition guessing as to if
you have a powerful hand or not.
Folding: Folding is not calling or raising a bet before
you, thus giving up the hand.
Reasons for Folding
Look for reasons to fold. Especially in low limit holdem, you
normally have to show down the best hands to win the pot. You should fold for
many reasons. Fold most of your starting hands, fold most of your hands to lots
of action in front of you. Fold, fold, fold. Donıt get involved in pots that
you donıt think you can win, or that donıt lay you the proper odds for drawing
to a monster hand.
If there is one word of warning about folding, is not to fold on
the river unless you are VERY CERTAIN you are beat. Pots are normally large
enough on the river that it doesnıt take but catching 1 bluff every now and
then to make it worthwhile to call a river bet. Tight players will fold often,
and tight is right.