Poker is a game of strategy, skill, and luck. For those who are new to the game, understanding the basic terminology can be overwhelming. In this article, we'll break down the essential poker actions: checking, opening, raising, re-raising, and folding.
What is Checking?
In poker, checking means passing the action to the next player without placing a bet. When you check, you're giving up your opportunity to initiate a bet for that round. However, you can still choose to raise, call, or fold later in the betting round. When you check, you won't need to put any chips into the pot unless you're playing in a game with a big blind and/or small blind.
The universal sign for checking is to tap the table with your hand.
What is Opening?
Opening is when you start the betting round by making a bet or raising. When it's your turn, if nobody has checked before you, you can choose to open. If someone has already checked, you'll need to decide whether to call their check, raise, or fold. Remember that opening and raising are different actions.
What is Calling?
Calling means matching the amount of chips that another player has bet. When you call a bet, you're essentially saying, "I'll play along and match your bet." If nobody calls, the hand is over, and the uncalled player wins. However, if the hand makes it to the final round (the river), and Player A bets and Player B calls, then it goes to a showdown, where the best hand wins.
What is Raising?
Raising means increasing the opening bet or previous bet made by another player. When you raise, you're signaling that you have a strong hand and want to win the pot now. You'll need to deal with either a call, fold, or re-raise from other players in the hand.
What is Re-Raising?
Re-raising means increasing the raise already made by an opposing player. When faced with a re-raise, you have three options: call, fold, or re-raise again.
What is Folding?
Folding means ending your participation in a hand. Once you fold, you won't need to put any more chips into the pot. You can fold when it's your turn and you don't want to continue playing. Most players do plenty of folding preflop (before the flop cards are dealt).
When you fold, you'll simply toss your cards face-down towards the dealer, who will add them to the muck pile.
###Understanding poker terminology is crucial for beginners. By grasping the basics of checking, opening, raising, re-raising, and folding, you'll be better equipped to navigate the game. Remember that practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to try out these actions at the tables!
About the Author:
Will Shillibier is the Managing Editor at PokerNews. Based in the United Kingdom, he has been working with the company since 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. Will graduated from the University of Kent with a B.A. in German and holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.
Tags:
- New to poker
- Poker actions
- Poker betting
- Folding
- Raising