Betting & Poker Taxonomy : Game Rules & Playing Tactics

We would strongly suggest you go through the previous blog post of  Series: What’s In Your Pocket “Poker Psychology for Faces” & “What Will Your Poker Opponents Be Like?” before checking out this post on Poker Betting Basics and Poker Taxonomy of game rules and what basic playing tactics to choose

Assuming that you have read the previous two blog post as Without betting, poker would just be a game of chance and the best hand would always win as no skill shall be involved.

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 a 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.

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, today we shall specifically discuss game rules and what basic playing tactics to choose about one of poker’s beloved game type Texas Hold ’em.

POKER GAME RULES:

Check:

The act of checking passes the action to the next person, immediately clockwise from the player. A check does not forfeit interest in the pot, only the current right to bet. If all active players check during a round of betting, the round is considered complete.

Bet: 

If there is not yet a wager on the current betting round, a player may bet. If a player bets, the player immediately clockwise from him or her (and any subsequent players) may fold, raise, or call.

Fold:

The act of folding forfeits all interest in the pot. A player who folds is not required or allowed to wager any further money during the current poker hand but cannot win that hand either.

Call:

If there has been a bet on the current round of poker play, a player may call. The act of calling requires the player to match the current bet made by his or her opponent(s).

Raise:

If there has been a bet on the current betting round, a player may raise. The act of raising requires the poker player to match the current bet, and then make a greater one. All subsequent players are required to call the raise or raise again (“re-raise”) to maintain interest in the pot.