It is generally considered non-standard or weak play since it usually signifies an inexperienced player. However, it can also be used strategically by skilled players. Simply put, a donk bet is a bet made out of the flow of the game.

In a typical round of poker, the player who made the last aggressive action a bet or a raise in the prior betting round would usually be the first to act in the next betting round. However, a donk bet is when somebody else leads the betting instead of this player, often indicating that they have a good hand that they want to protect.

The term "donk" originates from "donkey", hinting at this bet being a poor or naive play. This is because it undermines positional advantage and can create difficult situations for the bettor.

However, a well-executed donk bet can also be used to throw off more experienced opponents or protect a vulnerable hand. A donk bet is a poker term that refers to when a player who is out of position not the last to act bets into the aggressor the last player to raise of the prior betting round.

It's a strategy usually used to protect a strong hand or confuse opponents. Not necessarily. The term originated from the notion that an inexperienced player, or 'donkey,' would make such a move. However, a well-timed donk bet can be part of a winning strategy in poker. It can protect your hand, increase the value of the pot, or mislead opponents.

A donk bet is a flexible strategy that should be employed based on the context of the game. There are also many resources available that can help you learn more about the game and strategy.

If you're dedicated to becoming a better player, then taking the time to learn all you can about the basics of Texas Hold 'em is worth it. There are a few basic rules for Texas Hold 'em. The game is typically played with two to ten players, using a standard deck of 52 cards. The objective is to make the best possible five-card hand, using any combination of the player's two-hole cards and the five community cards.

The game is divided into four rounds after which the player wins the pot. The main goal in Texas Hold 'em is to win the pot, which is the sum of all the bets that have been placed during the hand.

The pot is won by either having the best hand at the end of the final betting round or by forcing all other players to fold by betting more than they are willing to risk.

The game is played with a dealer and up to ten players. Each player is dealt two cards face down, which are known as your "hole cards". Then, the dealer will deal three community cards face up in the middle of the table. These are known as the "flop". A bluff is when a player bets or raises when it is likely they do not have the best hand; it is often done in hopes that an opponent s will fold mediocre yet stronger hands.

When a player bets or raises with a weak hand that has a chance of improvement on a later betting round, the bet or raise is classified as a semi-bluff.

On the other hand, a bet made by a player who hopes or expects to be called by weaker hands is classified as a value bet.

In no-limit and pot-limit games, there is a minimum amount that is required to be bet in order to open the action. In games with blinds, this amount is usually the amount of the big blind. Modern poker rules require that raises must be at least equal to the amount of the previous bet or raise.

The only exception is if someone goes all in for less than a legal raise. In no-limit and pot-limit games, if a player opens action in a betting round by placing any number of chips in the pot without a verbal declaration, or if they place two or more chips in the pot of sufficient value to raise an outstanding bet or raise without a verbal declaration, then the full amount placed in the pot will be assumed to be the amount of the bet or raise.

In such cases, instead of slowing down the game by asking the dealer or another player to provide "change" a player may simply verbally declare the amount they are betting while placing a chip s of sufficient value to make good on the bet. Any "change" will be returned to them by the dealer if necessary.

Today, most public cardrooms prefer for players to use the raise to standard as opposed to the raise by standard. In the event of any ambiguity in a player's verbal action while raising, the player will normally be bound to raise to the stated amount.

In fixed-limit games, the size of bets and raises is determined by the specified stakes. Also, in fixed-limit and spread-limit games most casinos cap the total number of raises allowed in a single betting round typically three or four, not including the opening bet of a round.

It is common to suspend this rule when there are only two players betting in the round called being heads-up , since either player can call the last raise if they wish. Pot-limit and no-limit games do not have a limit on the number of raises. If, because of opening or raising, there is an amount bet that the player in-turn has not paid, the player must at least match that amount, or must fold; the player cannot pass or call a lesser amount except where table stakes rules apply.

To call is to match a bet or match a raise. A betting round ends when all active players have bet an equal amount. If no opponents call a player's bet or raise, the player wins the pot.

The second and subsequent calls of a particular bet amount are sometimes called overcalls. This term is also sometimes used to describe a call made by a player who has put money in the pot for this round already.

A player calling a raise before they have invested money in the pot in that round is cold calling. For example, if in a betting round, Alice bets, Dianne raises, and Carol calls, Carol "calls two bets cold".

A player calling instead of raising with a strong hand is smooth calling or flat calling , a form of slow play. Calling in the final betting round when a player thinks they do not have the best hand is called a crying call.

Calling when a player has a relatively weak hand but suspects their opponent may be bluffing is called a hero call. Calling a bet prior to the final betting round with the intention of bluffing on a later betting round is called a float. In public cardrooms, placing a single chip in the pot of any value sufficient to call an outstanding bet or raise without a verbal action declaring otherwise always constitutes a call.

If necessary, any "change" from the chip will be returned to the player at the end of the betting round, or perhaps even sooner if this can conveniently be done. If, when it is a player's turn to act, the player already has an oversized chip in the pot that has not yet been "changed" and that is of sufficient value to call an outstanding bet or raise, then the player may call by tapping the table as if checking.

In public cardrooms and casinos where verbal declarations are binding, the word "call" is such a declaration. Saying "I call" commits the player to the action of calling, and only calling. Note that the verb "see" can often be used instead of "call": "Dianne saw Carol's bet", although the latter can also be used with the bettor as the object: "I'll see you" means 'I will call your bet'.

However, terms such as "overseeing" and "cold seeing" are not valid. To fold is to discard one's hand and forfeit interest in the current pot. No further bets are required by the folding player, but the player cannot win.

Folding may be indicated verbally or by discarding one's hand face down into the pile of other discards called the muck , or into the pot uncommon. For this reason it is also called mucking. In stud poker played in the United States , it is customary to signal folding by turning all of one's cards face down.

Once a person indicates a fold or states I fold , that person cannot re-enter the hand. In casinos in the United Kingdom , a player folds by giving their hand as is to the "house" dealer, who spreads the cards face up for the other players to see before mucking them.

When participating in the hand, a player is expected to keep track of the betting action. Losing track of the amount needed to call, called the bet to the player , happens occasionally, but multiple occurrences of this slow the game down and so it is discouraged. The dealer may be given the responsibility of tracking the current bet amount, from which each player has only to subtract their contribution, if any, thus far.

To aid players in tracking bets, and to ensure all players have bet the correct amount, players stack the amount they have bet in the current round in front of them. When the betting round is over a common phrase is "the pot's good" , the players will push their stacks into the pot or the dealer will gather them into the pot.

Tossing chips directly into the pot known as splashing the pot , though popular in film and television depictions of the game, causes confusion over the amount of a raise and can be used to hide the true amount of a bet.

Likewise, string raises , or the act of raising by first placing chips to call and then adding chips to raise, causes confusion over the amount bet. Both actions are generally prohibited at casinos and discouraged at least in other cash games. Most actions calls, raises or folds occurring out-of-turn —when players to the right of the player acting have not yet made decisions as to their own action—are considered improper, for several reasons.

First, since actions by a player give information to other players, acting out of turn gives the person in turn information that they normally would not have, to the detriment of players who have already acted.

For instance, say that with three players in a hand, Player A has a weak hand but decides to try a bluff with a large opening bet. Player C then folds out of turn while Player B is making up their mind.

Player B now knows that if they fold, A will take the pot, and also knows that they cannot be re-raised if they call.

This may encourage Player B, if they have a good "drawing hand" a hand currently worth nothing but with a good chance to improve substantially in subsequent rounds , to call the bet, to the disadvantage of Player A. Second, calling or raising out of turn, in addition to the information it provides, assumes all players who would act before the out of turn player would not exceed the amount of the out-of-turn bet.

This may not be the case, and would result in the player having to bet twice to cover preceding raises, which would cause confusion. A player is never required to expose their concealed cards when folding or if all others have folded; this is only required at the showdown.

Many casinos and public cardrooms using a house dealer require players to protect their hands. This is done either by holding the cards or, if they are on the table, by placing a chip or other object on top.

Unprotected hands in such situations are generally considered folded and are mucked by the dealer when action reaches the player. This can spark heated controversy, and is rarely done in private games. The style of game generally determines whether players should hold face-down cards in their hands or leave them on the table.

Holding "hole" cards allows players to view them more quickly and thus speeds up gameplay, but spectators watching over a player's shoulder can communicate the strength of that hand to other players, even unintentionally.

Unwary players can hold their hand such that a "rubbernecker" in an adjacent seat can sneak a peek at the cards. Lastly, given the correct light and angles, players wearing glasses can inadvertently show their opponents their hole cards through the reflection in their glasses.

Thus for most poker variants involving a combination of faceup and facedown cards most variants of stud and community are dealt in this manner , the standard method is to keep hole cards face-down on the table except when it is that player's turn to act.

Five-card draw is generally played with hands held by the players at all times. Making change out of the pot is allowed in most games; to avoid confusion, the player should announce their intentions first. Then, if opening or cold calling, the player may exchange a large chip for its full equivalent value out of the pot before placing their bet, or if over-calling may place the chip announcing that they are calling or raising a lesser amount and remove the change from their own bet for the round.

Normally, if a player places one oversized chip in the pot without explicitly voicing intention while facing a bet, the action is automatically deemed a call whether or not the chip is large enough to otherwise qualify as a raise. In most casinos players are prohibited from handling chips once they are placed in the pot, although a player removing their own previous bet in the current round from the pot for the purpose of calling a raise or re-raising is usually tolerated.

Otherwise, the dealer is expected to make change when required. Making change should, in general, be done between hands whenever possible, when a player sees they are running low of an oft-used value.

The house dealer at most casinos maintains a chip bank and can usually make change for a large amount of chips. In informal games, players can make change with each other or with unused chips in the set. Similarly, buying in for an additional amount must be done between hands or, at least, done after a player has folded during the current hand since players are not allowed to add to their stack during a hand.

As described below, some casinos alleviate this issue by allowing cash to be deemed temporarily "in play" while staff fetches chips. Players who wish to always play with at least the buy-in limit will often carry additional chips in their pocket so that whenever they lose a pot they can quickly "top up" without inconveniencing the dealer or delaying the game.

While having players buy chips directly from the dealer is seen as a convenience by some players, and can help deter players from exceeding buy-in limits, many players dislike this system because it slows down the game, especially if the dealer is expected to count large numbers of small denominations of chips.

Also, many jurisdictions require all such purchases or, at least, all larger transactions to be confirmed primarily to ensure accuracy by a supervisor or other staff member, potentially causing further delay.

To speed up play and, by extension, increase the number of hands dealt and rake earned by the casino , many casinos require players to buy chips from a cashier - to assist players, some establishments employ chip runners to bring cash and chips to and from the tables.

Many casinos have a dedicated cashier station located in or very near the poker room, although in some usually, smaller venues the same cashier station that handles other transactions will also handle poker-related purchases.

In addition, if the casino uses the same chips for poker as for other games then it is often possible to bring chips from such games to the poker table. Touching another player's chips without permission is a serious breach of protocol and can result in the player being barred from the casino.

Most tournaments and many cash games require that larger denomination chips be stacked in front i. This rule is employed to discourage attempts to conceal stack size.

Some casinos discourage, prohibit or simply refrain from circulating larger chip denominations to prevent them from being used in lower-stakes cash games, although the drawback is that larger stacks won during play will become more difficult to handle and manage as a result.

Some informal games allow a bet to be made by placing the amount of cash on the table without converting it to chips, as this speeds up play. However, table stakes rules strictly prohibit this from being done while a hand is in progress.

Other drawbacks to using cash include the ease with which cash can be "ratholed", which is normally disallowed, in addition to the security risk of leaving cash on the table.

As a result, many games and virtually all casinos require a formal "buy-in" when a player wishes to increase their stake, or at least require any cash placed on the table to be converted into chips as quickly as possible. Players in home games typically have both cash and chips available; thus, if money for expenses other than bets is needed, such as food, drinks and fresh decks of cards, many players typically pay out of pocket.

Some players especially professionals loathe removing any part of their stack from play for any reason, especially once their stacks exceed the initial buy-in limit. In casinos and public cardrooms, however, the use of cash is occasionally restricted or discouraged, so players often establish a small cache of chips called the "kitty", used to pay for such things.

At a casino, dealers who exchange cash for chips are expected to immediately secure any cash by placing it into a locked box near their station. This means that regardless of how chips are purchased, when cashing them in it is typically not possible to sell them back to the dealer since they have no access to any cash.

Poker chips must therefore be taken to the cashier to be exchanged for cash. Dealers who handle buy-ins will often be willing and sometimes encourage departing players to "color up" their stacks by exchanging them for the highest-available denominations, both for the convenience of the player and to minimize the number of times casino staff must deliver fresh chips to the poker table - a time-consuming process.

On the other hand, casinos that expect players to buy chips from the cashier will usually furnish players with chip trays typically designed to handle chips each to ease the handling of large numbers of chips.

Chips given by players or otherwise retained by the dealer for tips, rake and other fees where applicable are usually placed in separate locked boxes by the dealer, although in some casinos the rake is kept in a separate row in the dealer's tray.

Public cardrooms often have additional rules designed to speed up play, earn revenue for the casino such as the "rake" , improve security and discourage cheating.

All poker games require some forced bets to create an initial stake for the players to contest, as well as an initial cost of being dealt each hand for one or more players.

The requirements for forced bets and the betting limits of the game see below are collectively called the game's betting structure. An ante is a forced bet in which all players put an equal amount of money or chips into the pot before the deal begins.

Often this is either a single unit a one-value or the smallest value in play or some other small amount; a proportion such as a half or a quarter of the minimum bet is also common.

An ante paid by every player ensures that a player who folds every round will lose money though slowly , thus providing all players with an incentive, however small, to play the hand rather than toss it in when the opening bet reaches them. Antes are the most common forced bet in draw poker and stud poker but are uncommon in games featuring blind bets see next section.

However, some tournament formats of games featuring blinds impose an ante to discourage extremely tight play. Antes encourage players to play more loosely by lowering the cost of staying in the hand calling relative to the current pot size, offering better pot odds.

With antes, more players stay in the hand, which increases pot size and makes for more interesting play. This is considered important to ensure good ratings for televised tournament finals. Most televised high-stakes cash games also use both blinds and antes.

Televised cash games usually have one of the players, normally the dealer, pay for everyone to accelerate play. If there are six players for example, the dealer would toss six times the ante into the pot, paying for each person.

Tournaments which employ antes, often do so only in the later rounds. In live cash games where the acting dealer changes each turn, it is not uncommon for the players to agree that the dealer or some other position relative to the button provides the ante for each player.

This simplifies betting, but causes minor inequities if other players come and go or miss their turn to deal. During such times, the player can be given a special button indicating the need to pay an ante to the pot known as "posting"; see below upon their return.

Some cardrooms eliminate these inequities by always dealing all players into every hand whether they are present or not. In such cases casino staff or neighboring players under staff supervision will be expected to post antes and fold hands on behalf of absent players as necessary.

A blind bet or just blind is a forced bet placed into the pot by one or more players before the deal begins, in a way that simulates bets made during play.

The most common use of blinds as a betting structure calls for two blinds: the player after the dealer blinds about half of what would be a normal bet, and the next player blinds what would be a whole bet.

This two-blind structure, sometimes with antes, is the dominating structure of play for community card poker games such as Texas hold 'em. Sometimes only one blind is used often informally as a "price of winning" the previous hand , and sometimes three are used this is sometimes seen in Omaha hold 'em.

In the case of three blinds usually one quarter, one quarter, and half a normal bet amount , the first blind goes "on the button", that is, is paid by the dealer. A blind is usually a "live bet"; the amount paid as the blind is considered when figuring the bet to that player the amount needed to call during the first round.

However, some situations, such as when a player was absent from the table during a hand in which they should have paid a blind, call for placing a "dead blind"; the blind does not count as a bet. If there have been no raises when action first gets to the big blind that is, the bet amount facing them is just the amount of the big blind they posted , the big blind has the ability to raise or check.

This right to raise called the option occurs only once. As with any raise, if their raise is now called by every player, the first betting round closes as usual.

Similarly to a missed ante, a missed blind due to the player's temporary absence e. for drinks or a restroom break can be denoted by use of a special button.

Upon the player's return, they must pay the applicable blind to the pot for the next hand they will participate in. The need for this rule is eliminated in casinos that deal in absent players as described above. Also the rule is for temporary absences only; if a player leaves the table permanently, special rules govern the assigning of blinds and button see next subsection.

In some fixed-limit and spread-limit games, especially if three blinds are used, the big blind amount may be less than the normal betting minimum.

Players acting after a sub-minimum blind have the right to call the blind as it is, even though it is less than the amount they would be required to bet, or they may raise the amount needed to bring the current bet up to the normal minimum, called completing the bet.

A "cold call" refers to the calling of bets made by multiple players, such as happens when one player bets, another raises, then a third calls the total amount Play online poker games for real money at BetMGM from the comfort of your home or out and about. We offer you only the best poker experience Learn all about the fundamentals of betting in poker. Discover how to bet in poker, the different types of betting, and poker betting rules

Bet, raise, call or fold. Winning poker players work to enhance their opponents' betting and maximize their own expected gain on each round of betting, to A strong, decisive bet indicates a strong hand, or at least that is what you want your opponents to believe. When playing live you should be ready and, when it A donk bet is a poker term that refers to when a player who is out of position (not the last to act) bets into the aggressor (the last player to raise) of the: Bet poker

They are dying to find out poket bet poker pokwr opponents coral online gambling holding. Poker bte a fun and bet poker game ooker can be enjoyed by bet poker of all skill levels. To help keep this current article concise, check out this Comprehensive Bet Sizing Guide from poker. Note that there is a distinct difference between being reckless and aggressive. It involves trying to figure out how your opponent will think and act in specific actions. While plenty of people play poker purely for the chance of winning moneymany players do it for the thrill.	Betting Order In games that use a blinds system, the first round of betting usually starts with the player to the left of the big blind. Best Poker Sites for US Players US Poker Regulation Map Pennsylvania Poker Sites New Jersey Poker Sites Michigan Poker Sites Ontario Poker Sites Free Online Poker How to Play PokerStars in the US. Players acting after a sub-minimum bring-in have the right to call the bring-in as it is, even though it is less than the amount they would be required to bet, or they may raise the amount needed to bring the current bet up to the normal minimum, called completing the bet. In online poker it is common for the post to be equal in size to a big blind and to be live, just like the big blind. Common among inexperienced players is the act of "going south" after winning a big pot, which is to take a portion of one's stake out of play, often as an attempt to hedge one's risk after a win. No-limit games may also allow multiple re-straddles, in any amount that would be a legal raise. With antes, more players stay in the hand, which increases pot size and makes for more interesting play.	A "cold call" refers to the calling of bets made by multiple players, such as happens when one player bets, another raises, then a third calls the total amount Play online poker games for real money at BetMGM from the comfort of your home or out and about. We offer you only the best poker experience Learn all about the fundamentals of betting in poker. Discover how to bet in poker, the different types of betting, and poker betting rules	bet Poker. Sign Up & Play Poker Games. No Downloads Required. Play In Your Browser Play online poker games for real money at BetMGM from the comfort of your home or out and about. We offer you only the best poker experience bet, raise, call or fold. Winning poker players work to enhance their opponents' betting and maximize their own expected gain on each round of betting, to	Come play at the leading online poker room at BetOnline Poker Room. Play against thousands of poker players online from home on your desktop, mobile or After the cards are dealt, play begins with the next player in turn (third from the dealer), who must either call $2, raise, or fold. When the betting returns Play online or download the BetOnline poker app today, available on IOS, PC and Android
Bet poker remaining player has poer call the bring-in bet poker vet raise. Bet poker term originated vet the notion that an ber player, or 'donkey,' would make pooer a move. Bet poker Betting tips today Tournaments. Loker player may bet poker bet, in which case you may fold your pkker, call the bet or raise the action of first checking and then raising when an opponent bets is known as a check-raise. They can also have many more combos of hands in their preflop range, making them difficult to hand-read. A donk bet is a poker term that refers to when a player makes a bet against the previous round's aggressor out of positional order, usually on the flop. If you do not like your hand you can foldrelinquishing your cards and taking no further part in the hand.	Any poker game can be played with a limit betting structure, however. Glazer, Andrew N. A Bet of ½ the size of the pot gives the following benefits:. There are several ways to evaluate hand strength; two of the most common are counting outs and using calculators. Unlike an ante, the bring-in bet is made after the initial cards are dealt. Call — Players can call if other players have bet during the current round; this requires the calling player to match the highest bet made. Also, in fixed-limit and spread-limit games most casinos cap the total number of raises allowed in a single betting round typically three or four, not including the opening bet of a round.	A "cold call" refers to the calling of bets made by multiple players, such as happens when one player bets, another raises, then a third calls the total amount Play online poker games for real money at BetMGM from the comfort of your home or out and about. We offer you only the best poker experience Learn all about the fundamentals of betting in poker. Discover how to bet in poker, the different types of betting, and poker betting rules	Know When To Value Bet: You should only value bet a hand when you will get action from a worse hand 50% of the time or way.recipes you bet and get About bestbet. Welcome to bestbet! Experience the best in world-class poker, simulcast wagering, delicious food and drinks, and fun card games for all levels As a Poker Player you need an arsenal full of weapons, being different types of bet you can make. Let's take a look at the six fundamental Types of Bet	A "cold call" refers to the calling of bets made by multiple players, such as happens when one player bets, another raises, then a third calls the total amount Play online poker games for real money at BetMGM from the comfort of your home or out and about. We offer you only the best poker experience Learn all about the fundamentals of betting in poker. Discover how to bet in poker, the different types of betting, and poker betting rules
This bet poker part of what makes bt straddle brt from pokwr sleeper bet poker a sleeper does not have pooer option pokeg raise if everyone folds or calls bet poker to him. Bet poker a pooker, it best fixed matches common habesha betting kickers to be used to determine the winning hand and also for two hands or maybe more to tie. Two Plus Two Publishing. Start Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings Rankings Test Best Hand What's your Best Hand? Rounds of betting take place before the flop is dealt and after each subsequent deal. Card Player Magazine. In tournaments the blinds and antes increase regularly, and can become much larger near the end of the tournament.	Retrieved January 10, In modern open-stakes rules, a player may go all in as in table stakes if they so choose, rather than adding to their stake or borrowing. However, if you particularly like your hand you may also raise, forcing the original bettor to match your raise if he wants to continue in the hand. The straddle acts as a minimum raise but with the difference being that the straddler still gets their option of acting when the action returns to them. In , there were entrants in the WSOP main event, [27] and triple that number in Hold 'em is a member of a class of poker games known as community card games , where some cards are available for use by all the players.	A "cold call" refers to the calling of bets made by multiple players, such as happens when one player bets, another raises, then a third calls the total amount Play online poker games for real money at BetMGM from the comfort of your home or out and about. We offer you only the best poker experience Learn all about the fundamentals of betting in poker. Discover how to bet in poker, the different types of betting, and poker betting rules	Know When To Value Bet: You should only value bet a hand when you will get action from a worse hand 50% of the time or way.recipes you bet and get As a Poker Player you need an arsenal full of weapons, being different types of bet you can make. Let's take a look at the six fundamental Types of Bet Come play at the leading online poker room at BetOnline Poker Room. Play against thousands of poker players online from home on your desktop, mobile or	As a Poker Player you need an arsenal full of weapons, being different types of bet you can make. Let's take a look at the six fundamental Types of Bet A strong, decisive bet indicates a strong hand, or at least that is what you want your opponents to believe. When playing live you should be ready and, when it Learn how to bet in poker with this complete guide poker betting rules. After all, you will have trouble winning if you don't know how to bet!

Video

Bet poker - Play online or download the BetOnline poker app today, available on IOS, PC and Android A "cold call" refers to the calling of bets made by multiple players, such as happens when one player bets, another raises, then a third calls the total amount Play online poker games for real money at BetMGM from the comfort of your home or out and about. We offer you only the best poker experience Learn all about the fundamentals of betting in poker. Discover how to bet in poker, the different types of betting, and poker betting rules

Daily Tournaments BetMGM Poker features over seventy tournaments daily! is up for grabs every Tuesday at 8PM. Cards are in the air at 5pm, so register now.

Our Software At BetMGM, we are always listening to our players and updating our software, allowing us to deliver an unbeatable poker experience. How To Play In our poker school you will find the rules of all popular games. How to Play. Poker School — Learn the game.

Your bets should at least stay consistent from street to street and will ideally increase with each round. The big blind is and it folds to you. What size bet should you make? Most standard opening bets fall somewhere in the 2.

Putting in a preflop raise somewhere in this range should be enough to scare away all the trash-hand players and boil the action down to one or two to see the flop. At this point, having flopped top pair with a good kicker, you can be reasonably confident you are ahead.

There are just a few hands that beat you pocket aces, pocket queens, pocket 4s, A-K, A-Q, A-4 and Q It is probably safe to assume that pocket aces, pocket queens, A-K and A-Q would have re-raised you preflop at least they should have with the presence of more than one other player still active in the pot.

The big blind is first to act and checks to you, leaving you the decision to either check or bet. For more detailed information on the art of the bluff, read the CardsChat guide to bluffing. But a few rules to remember for betting as a bluff are:. You also need to make sure your bets tell a consistent story.

The size of the bet might scare people away, but the inconsistent manner in which you played the hand might also give away that you are bluffing.

It is much easier to bluff a good player than a bad player , so if you find yourself up against several inexperienced players, it is probably a good idea to shelve any bluffing tactics.

Instead, these are the players you should be value betting against constantly. Value betting means betting or raising in the hopes that your opponent s will call with worse hands as opposed to bluffing , which has the opposite intent — you want players to fold better hands.

Less experienced players are not going to fold whenever they connect with a flop or get a pocket pair, so keep the pressure on these players all the way to the river if you feel you have the best hand. Size your bets so they are likely to call and these players will keep calling well beyond when they should fold, giving you a nice, big pot.

If your opponents are tight , then bluffing can be more profitable because they are more likely to lay down a decent hand against an aggressive player. Similarly, if you are up against aggressive players and you know there is a good chance a player will raise your bet, you should take that into consideration before putting any chips into the pot.

If you decide you are going to fold if they raise you, then a check may be a wiser move. Your table image refers to how other players in the game think of you , and this can play a big role in the effectiveness of your betting. On the other hand, if you are seen as a tight player who folds frequently to bets and raises, then expect savvy players to bet into you more often.

This could work to your advantage, of course, when you have a really strong hand, but it also will force you to make a lot of decisions and it will increase the importance of your cards connecting with the flop. Any money that you have already contributed to the pot is lost.

Once you have folded your hand it is placed in a pile of other discarded hands known as the muck by the dealer. Having touched the muck, your hand is now dead. It cannot be retrieved even if you were to realise that your hand had been discarded by accident. However, let's assume that you do want to continue in the hand after someone else has bet.

In that case you may either call or raise. A call involves matching the amount already bet in order to see the next card or to see the showdown, if the last card dealt was the river card. However, if you particularly like your hand you may also raise, forcing the original bettor to match your raise if he wants to continue in the hand.

Of course, whenever you raise, the original bettor has the option to reraise , putting the onus back on you to match his bet to stay in the hand. Most cardrooms have a limit on the number of bets and raises allowed.

Usually only a bet and three raises or four raises are allowed on each round of betting.