Betting Rules
If you just want to play a friendly game, all you need to do is to get a few chips and face off against family and friends. If you are betting however, follow the rules below.
First off, most tournament games have a buy in where you pay a certain amount and get that many chips. Each type of chip has a monetary value, and when we talk about betting money in this article, we actually mean betting the chip of that value.
In most poker games, you will need to put in a certain amount to start the game, before you get your cards. Most put in a nickel to get started. This is called the blind. Betting is normally done clockwise around the table. You can raise your bet in any given round of bets. If someone after you raises the bet, you will get a chance to call or raise the bet. In other words if you put down a nickel and the next person puts down a quarter, you will need to put in twenty cents to call and more to raise the bet.
The dealer button is being rotated one step to the left after each round giving everyone new positions after each round. The best betting position is when you are the dealer. The dealer always acts last except for the first betting round before the flop when the big blind is last. This allows the one sitting on the dealer button to make a decision when everyone else has acted.
Most groups will have a minimum and maximum amount that you can bet in any given round. Here is a sample of the betting process if you are playing Texas Holdem:
1. A general bet is put in bye the big and small blind (the two players to the left of the dealer) before the cards are dealt.
2. Once you have been dealt your two cards and viewed them a betting round starts.
3. After the first round of betting 3 cards (called the flop) will be placed on the table for everyone to see. You will bet again. You can call, raise, or fold during any round of betting during the game.
4. The fourth card (called the turn) will be placed on the table after the second round of betting by the dealer and another betting round will start.
5. A third betting round will start and you have the same options bet, check, call or raise as the previous rounds. When the remaining players have completed the 3:rd-betting round, a fifth and last card (called the river) is placed on the table and final betting round starts.
6. The remaining players show their cards and the money or chips collected throughout the betting rounds will be awarded and given to the player with the best hand. The pot size will be depending on how big the bets were over the rounds.
Folding in the game of poker means you are giving up the money you have already bet. In other words, if you have bet fifty cents total and you see that you have nothing to go on, you can fold. You will be out of the current round and don’t have to bet anymore. This is what you should do when you have nothing and do not want to lose all of your money. You will be back in the game on the next hand if you put in the general bet to get your cards.
Betting can be very simple at times, and complicated at other stages of each game. To be a good better, study what the experts do and learn from the best or do a lot of reading an familiarize yourself with the game. As you become a more experienced player, your betting skills will improve dramatically.
