The Poker Player
Except for the times when a bet is mandatory—as is usually the case in the initial round of play—the first player to act in a betting round has three options:
1. He can place a bet, which means he'll wager money and place it into the pot.
2. He can check or pass, which means he'll make no bet at all and will just pass play on to the next player, while still remaining an active player.
3. He can fold or go out, which means he'll throw away his cards and forfeit future play during the current deal.
Once a bet is placed, however, a player no longer has the option of checking his turn. To remain an active player, he must either call the bet or see the bet (place an amount of money into the pot equal to the bet) or raise or call and raise (call the bet and make an additional bet on top of the bet called). If a player doesn't want to bet, then he must fold and go out of play. Each succeeding player, in turn, is faced with the same options: calling, folding, or raising.
To continue playing for the pot, a player must call the original bet and any raises that were made. Aplayer may choose to fold his cards if he doesn't want to call the bets and raises that preceded him.
When play swings around again to the original bettor, he must call any previous raises to continue as an active player, as must any subsequent players who have raises due. A player who doesn't wish to call the raises must fold. (If the raise limit hasn't been reached, a player may also raise again.)
The number of raises permitted varies from game to game. Generally, though, casino games are limited to either three or five total raises in one round, except when just two players remain. This situation is called head to head play, when unlimited raising is allowed. Most private games allow unlimited raising at all times. A player may not, however, raise his own bet. He may raise only another player's bet or raise.
Play continues until the last bet or raise is called by all active players, and no more bets or raises are due from any player. The betting round is now completed and over. One important rule of poker etiquette is that players may check, bet, raise, or fold during their proper turns only. This rule must always be respected by all players.
Some games use a blind—a mandatory bet that is made by the first player to act in the opening round of play. This player, called the blind bettor, must make the blind bet regardless of the hand he or she holds. The blind is a forced bet, and it forces immediate action in a poker game. When there are two blinds, as is the case in many games, then the next player in turn will be forced to make a blind bet as well. These two bettors are known as the small blind and the big blind. The small blind, the first player to make the forced bet, is usually required to bet half the minimum bet, while the big blind is required to bet the full minimum. In a $5-$10 game, for example, the small blind would bet $5, and the big blind would bet $10.
Players cannot check after a blind bet is made. They must either call the blind, raise, or fold. Otherwise, play proceeds the same as it does in games which don't use a blind. The amount of a blind bet varies, but it is usually less than or equal to the minimum bet.
Check and raise, a player's raising of a bet afterpreviously checking in a round, is usually not allowed in private games, but many casino games permit it. If you're interested in this play, ask if check and raise is allowed before you sit down to play in a game.
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Poker Antes
An ante, also known as a sweetener, is a uniform bet placed into the pot by players before the cards are dealt. The size of the ante is prearranged by the players, or in a casino is set by the house. All players are required to pay the ante.
The ante is used in a majority of private poker games and virtually all casino games. It's a way to "sweeten the pie" and create more action in the game. The ante creates an immediate pot, which sharp players, under the right circumstances, may go after right from the start. A player will bet forcefully in first round play hoping to force opposing players out of the pot. If he succeeds, he'll win the pot and the antes in it immediately, by process of elimination. This move is called stealing the ante.
THE PLAY OF THE GAME
After the dealer shuffles the cards and offers the cut, the deal is ready to begin. If the game requires an ante, the dealer may announce "ante-up," a call or all players to place their antes into the pot. The center of the table is used as the area for the pot, and that is where all antes and bets should be placed.
The dealer begins dealing to the player on his immediate left. He deals cards one at a time in a clockwise rotation, until each player has received the requisite number of cards for the poker variation being played. In casino games, where a rotating button is used to mark the dealer's position, the deal begins with the player to the left of the button. It continues around in the same fashion as in private games.
Like the dealing of the cards, play always proceeds in clockwise fashion. The first round begins with either the player sitting to the immediate left of the dealer, or, in some of the stud games, with either the high or low card opening play. Play continues around the table, until each player in turn has acted.
In later rounds, the first player to act will vary depending on the poker variation being played. In the stud games, the strongest ranking open cards will open betting. In the draw games, either the first active player to the left of the dealer will open betting, or the last player to have raised or opened in the previous round will initiate play.
We'll cover the particulars of play under the sections on the games themselves. You'll then see how the betting works for the different variations.
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