No Limit Hold e’m Betting Instructions
Poker players act in a specific turn order: clockwise from the dealer. Once a player makes a declaration of action- no matter the action- the rules declare that he must then follow that action no matter the reactions of the other players at the table. In most poker games, the first action is the ante, which is normally carried out before the dealing takes place. Depending on the rules of the particular hold ‘em game, the players may or may not be asked to ante up before the dealing. Ante’s are to ensure that every player has something at stake in each hand. Without the ante, players can fold each hand at no risk to them. With the ante, this quickly becomes a losing proposition as their chips will gradually wear down with this type of play.
In every game of poker, the betting follows the same pattern: open, call, check, raise or fold. These are common to every variant. In No Limit Hold ‘em, there is also the addition of “blinds.” The blinds are the two people directly to the left of the button, or dealer. The first blind opens the betting with a net of either one-half or one-quarter of the minimum bet. For example, if you are playing a hand that has a minimum bet of $2, the first blind opens with a bet of $1, then the second or “big blind” will open with the minimum of $2. Once betting gets back around to the small blind, the bet he has already thrown into the pot will count towards the bet that is facing him.
Once the pot is open, and betting has begun, players can call, check, raise the pot or fold. In Hold ‘em there are literally hundreds of combinations for the pocket hand, and this leads to many different possibilities. If the player has a hand at this point they are not confident with, normally they fold by handing the cards face down to the dealer, or placing them in the discard or “muck” pile, also known as “mucking the hand.” If the player decides to “call” he must match the current bet or raise. The first round of betting concludes when all players have bet an equal amount, or there are no opposing players match the players call. If no opponents match or raise the player’s call, he wins the entire pot. It must be understood that in professional or casino games, a call is just a call. A player cannot declare to call then raise, as may occur in private games.
Checking the bet means that a player is passing. This is only done when the betting has not been “opened.” He is not folding, but is not at this time throwing any money into the pot. He is reserving his option to call or raise later in the hand, should the opportunity arise. However, in games where there are blinds, the blinds are the open of the betting, therefore players cannot check on the opening round of betting. Players must call or raise to remain in the game.
Raising is the act of increasing the current bet. If there have been no other bets to this point, this is the opening bet. Players then have the option of calling or raising this bet. Once the pot is raised, every player must equal the raise, or fold. If a player raises after the initial raise, it is known as re-raising the pot. Standard poker rules require that the player raise must be equal to the amount of the previous bet. For example, if the current bet is $2, a player must raise by at least $2, they cannot raise only $1. They can raise by more, depending on the game if there are limits. By definition, no limit hold ‘em means there is no limit to the amount that can be raised. If, by opening, raising and re-raising there is a bet amount that a player has not placed into the pot, he must place enough to equal the current bet or fold. A player cannot call or place less into the pot.
Folding is the act of quitting the hand. There are many different ways required of the player to turn in his hand, depending on the games and where they are being played. In no limit hold ‘em, they muck the hand by tossing the cards into the burn or discard pile.
Once the initial hand betting is closed, the button continues the deal with the same options for players to bet- save the blind and big blind. These are only options for the opening round of betting. Subsequent rounds of betting begin with players opening the bet, calling, raising or folding until the hand is won.
