Poker for Dummies (Mini Edition) (9 page)

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Determining the best low hand takes a bit of practice, but if you always begin with the highest of the low cards and continue in descending order, you can’t go wrong.

Betting

Without betting, poker would just be a game of luck and the best hand would always win. Betting is the key to poker, and minimizing losses when holding a poor hand while maximizing wins with good hands is what poker is all about.

Every betting interval requires a check or a bet from the first player to act. Each player to the left of the first player to act may either check or bet if no one else has bet. Whoever makes the first bet is said to make the opening bet. If a bet has been made, other players may fold, call, or raise.

Betting terms

Following are some of the key terms to describe the action that occurs during a poker game:

Ante:
A token sum of money contributed by each player before the cards are dealt. Antes are used in Seven-Card Stud, Seven-Stud/8, Razz, and many other games.

Bet:
A wager of a certain amount of money by a player in a poker game. Bets can either be in
fixed limits,
such as $3 and $6, or
spread limits,
which allow a player to wager any amount within the limits at any time (such as $2–$10).
Pot limit
is another form of wagering, in which a player can bet any amount up to the sum total currently in the pot.
No-limit
poker allows contestants to wager any amount of money they have in front of them. (For more about betting, see the “Betting” section in this chapter.)

Blind bet:
A forced bet by one or more players
before
the cards are dealt. A blind bet takes the place of an ante. The requirement to post a blind bet rotates around the table from hand to hand, so that each player pays his fair share. Blind bets are common in Texas Hold’em and Omaha. In most casino games, there are two blinds: a big blind and a small blind. These blinds are considered
live,
which means that players who post the blind have the opportunity to raise when the action gets back around to them.

Call:
To equalize the amount wagered by putting the amount of money wagered into the pot.

Check:
A check is a bet of zero dollars. By checking, a player retains the right to call any bet made by a player who acts after he does, or even to raise. But if someone has already bet when it’s your turn to act, you can no longer check, and you must fold, call, or raise.

Checkraise:
To check and then raise if one of your opponents bets. This is generally done to trap players for a bet or two, when the checkraiser has a very powerful hand.

Fold:
To decide not to call a bet or raise. By folding, a player relinquishes her interest in the pot.

Raise:
To increase the amount wagered by an amount equal to your opponent’s bet — or by a greater amount, if the game is spread limit, pot limit, or no limit.