Poker for Dummies (Mini Edition) (10 page)

When a player folds, he loses any chips he has contributed to that pot and has no further interest in the hand. After the final betting round, a showdown among the players still active in the hand determines the winner.

Different types of games call for specific kinds of betting:

Fixed limit:
In a fixed-limit game, no one may bet or raise more than a predetermined number of chips. This limit, however, usually varies with the round of the game. In Stud poker, betting limits usually double when the fifth card is dealt. Thus, a $10–$20 game means that the first two rounds of betting are based on limits of $10, while the last three are in increments of $20. In Texas Hold’em, with four betting rounds, betting limits usually double on the third round.

Spread limit:
Spread limit games are similar to fixed limit, but the bettors can wager any amount within the limits. A limit might be $2–$10 any time, which means that wagers can be made in any amount within those limits at any time, with the proviso that a raise must be at least the equal of the bet that preceded it.

Pot limit:
In pot limit, bets or raises are limited only by the amount of money in the pot at the time the wager is made. A player who raises may count her call as part of the pot. If there is $10 in the pot and someone wagers $10, a raiser may call that bet, making the pot $30, and then raise the entire pot. When she is done, the pot will contain $60.

No limit:
In no limit, a player may bet or raise any amount of chips she has in front of her at any time.

In most limit games, a bet and either three or four raises per betting round are permitted.

Rules of the Road

Call them rules, conventions, or poker etiquette — there are some guidelines that are common to all forms of poker, especially poker in card clubs or casinos. Though you may find some minor variations from one casino to another, many card casinos are working diligently toward a uniform set of guidelines.

Going all-in

If you don’t have enough to cover the bets and raises, you are said to go
all-in,
and are simply contesting that portion of the pot your money covers. Others who are active in the hand can still make wagers, but those bets constitute a side pot. At the hand’s conclusion, the side pot is decided first, followed by the main pot. You aren’t eligible to win the side pot because you invested no money in it, but you can win the main pot. You can buy more chips or put more money on the table between hands.

Few things you remember from Saturday matinee westerns happen in a public cardroom. Players don’t leave the game in mid-hand, go get the deed to the ranch, and then use it to cover a bet. You can’t drive someone out of a pot just by betting more money than he has in front of him. The player with the limited chip supply goes all-in — by calling with the remainder of his chips. If the all-in player loses, he either buys more chips or leaves the game.

The forbidden string raise

In a western, someone’s always saying, “Mighty big bet, cowboy. I’ll just see your twenty . . .” while reaching back into his stack for more chips, and with a long, lingering glance for effect, drawls “. . . and raise you forty!” As dramatic as that move may seem, you won’t see that in a real poker game. Calling a bet and then reaching back for more chips and announcing a raise is called a string raise. It is not permitted. Rest assured someone will shout “String raise!” The dealer then informs the hopeful raiser that a string raise just occurred, and he’ll have to take his raise back and simply call. Now, if someone shouts “String raise!” and another opponent says something like “That’s okay. Let his raise stand,” be assured your hand is in big trouble — real big trouble!

The string-raise rule prevents a player from reading the reactions of his opponents while he puts some chips in the pot, and then deciding to raise if he thinks he’s got the best of it.

How to raise

If you want to raise, just say “Raise.” Then you can go back to your stack and count out the proper amount of chips. If you want to let your action announce your intention, you usually must put the correct amount of chips into the pot, and do it all in one motion. Otherwise . . . string raise (see the preceding section).

No splashing

Avoid
splashing
the pot: Don’t toss chips into the center of the table where they mingle with the others. Instead, stack your chips neatly on the table about 18 inches in front of you. The dealer will pull them into the pot when the action has been completed on that round of betting.

If it’s your first time in a public cardroom, tell the dealer so he can help you through the mechanics of the game. After a few sessions, you’ll be familiar and comfortable with the majority of playing procedures. Soon you, too, will feel like a regular.

Protecting your hand; cards speak

In a casino, unlike in many home games, you’re always responsible for your hand. Toss it in the muck (the pile of discarded cards), and your hand is fouled and cannot win. The rule in all cardrooms is that cards speak — your hand is worth whatever value the cards have. Dealers, however, can make mistakes. If you think yours is the best hand, turn your cards face up and announce it. Place it halfway between your chips and the pot, and hold on to it while the dealer determines the outcome.

If you’re not sure whether you have the best hand, turn all your cards face up at the end of the hand and allow the dealer to read your hand. If you’re in a poker club or casino and there is a doubt or debate, even if the hand is over, casino security cameras can review the hands that were shown down in order to determine the winner.

Table stakes

Most games, including most casino games, are
table stakes.
You cannot add chips or money to the amount in front of you during the play of the hand. If you run out of money during a hand, you can contest only that portion of the pot that your bets cover. You cannot
go light
— that is, pull more money out of your wallet — as you might do in a home game. You can, of course, always add more money to your playing stake between hands.