Raising vs. Calling in Holdem Poker

When playing poker we are constantly required to make decisions. Every time we must make a decision, we have a chance to make a mistake. Continuing, most of the money we win at the poker table is the result of our opponent's mistakes and our ability to take advantage of them. This is why it is important to understand in which situations it is best to raise as opposed to calling.

First, let's take a look at the positive things a raise can accomplish. Your opponents may fold, awarding you the pot immediately. If you have the best hand, any opponent who calls is making you profit. If you have an average hand and are re-raised, this is an indication that your hand might not be the best hand. This, of course, just gives you information, but poker is a game of information. Now let's look at each of these as opposed to calling. When you call, you have no chance of winning the pot uncontested, if you have the best hand you are not maximizing your profit, and if your hand is dominated by someone else you have no way of knowing. When you call and the pot is raised behind you, is this an indication of a dominant hand, a good hand or a bluff? If you raise and are re-raised, this is an obvious show of strength.

Here is an example of a situation where it is correct to raise. You are in middle position with Ac 6c and two other players, the big blind and the button, see a flop of Ah 8c 4c. The big blind bets into you. This is clearly a raise situation as you may have the best hand and have a good redraw to the best hand if you are behind. Many players will bet into the field from the blinds if they hit any part of the flop. In addition, your raise may make the pot odds incorrect for the button to remain in the hand if he/she has a draw, and if they fold you have position on the remaining player. If you are re-raised, you will be getting the correct pot odds to draw to your Ace high flush or two pair.

Of course there are also situations when the correct play is to call. For example, you are on the button with Jh Th and see a flop of Ah 9c 8d with four other players. The first person to act bets and two players call. In this situation, a raise will probably not knock anyone out of the pot unless the first player to act re-raises behind you. In addition, you are on a draw to a straight with a backdoor flush possible, which means that you do not have the best hand yet. Remember the three things that are positive that can happen with a raise? If no one is going to fold to your raise, and you don't have the best hand, you have eliminated two of the three positives. In this situation, there are no other players to act behind you so by just calling you are not only receiving the correct pot odds, you are putting the least amount of money in the pot while maintaining your chance to win.

Once you start to realize when it is advantageous to raise, and combine this aggressive play with tight, quality starting hand requirements, you are well on your way to becoming a consistent winning player.

Wesley R. Young publishes a weekly syndicated poker column with information available at http://www.thepokercolumn.com. He also offers additional poker strategy and reviews at http://www.pokermonger.com

---

2005 World Series of Poker -- Final Tournament Report

Now that the 2005 World Series of Poker has finished,... Read More

Online Gambling Basics

Poker, black jack or any other casino game with a... Read More

Expected Value in Texas Holdem Poker

A successful Texas hold em player is one who maximizes... Read More

Shorthanded Poker, an Untapped Gold Mine

Feuled by seemingly nonstop television coverage and internet access in... Read More

Pyramid Solitaire: A Strategy Guide For Beginners

Pyramid Solitaire is a fun solitaire game, with a very... Read More

The Silver Club Casino

The Book is run by Leroy's Sports Book and is... Read More

Online Poker --- Is It Safe? --- Is It for Me?

Online Poker RoomsRapidly Growing in PopularityPlaying online poker is fast... Read More

Why Play Texas Hold em?

Ah, yes-the Texas hold 'em explosion. Seven years ago, when... Read More

Gambling Legality Basics

The gambling scene in America can be traced back to... Read More

Handicapping the NFL Pre-season

It never ceases to amaze me just how many sports... Read More

10 Tips That Will Give You Unfair Advantage At The Poker Table When Playing Texas Holdem Poker

Playing poker and winning is a very difficult task to... Read More

Bingo 101 What You Absolutely Need to Know About

It is quite surprising and amusing at the same time... Read More

The Slot Machine

The very first slot machine (called 'Liberty Bell') was created... Read More

Slot Machines

On average, one third of the casino's total revenue is... Read More

Slot Machines - Does Location Make a Difference?

Books have been written on this subject and the debates... Read More

Senior Citizen?s Gambling Addiction On The Rise

Over the past few months there has been a significant... Read More

Insider Tips For Finding A Great Online Poker Room

Even though they look pretty much the same and they're... Read More

2005 World Series of Poker -- Complete Report

Over 29,000 poker players came to Las Vegas from 40... Read More

Poker is Meant to be Fun

With the recent explosion of interest in poker, it is... Read More

4 Poker Tips the Pros Wont Tell You

In the past few years, professional poker playing has exploded... Read More

No Deposit Online Casino Bonus is for Lucky and Wise Only - The Myth of Free Money

No deposit bonuses are very popular, especially among "not-so-wealthy" online... Read More

Beating The NFL: A Guide To Smart Sports Betting.

Well folks, here we are. It's August 13 as I... Read More

Gambling Myths 101

Myths and rumors come with every gambling game. However undesirable,... Read More

Take Your Online Poker Game to the Next Level

Playing Poker online can be quite satisfying, and financially rewarding,... Read More

Horse Racing Betting, A Beginners Guide (Part 2)

In part one we went over how to pick contending... Read More

The Secret of Field/Place Betting

Pssst... Wanna know a secret?How about the secret of profiting... Read More

Slot Machine Odds

It probably more appropriate to call slot machines entertainment than... Read More

The Secrets of the Field

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?How about the secret of the... Read More

Gambling Comps 101 or The Ask Game

Gambling Comps 101 or The Ask Game I don't know... Read More

Always Win in the Casino Like James Bond

In the Bond film 'Diamonds Are Forever' we see James... Read More

Why You Should Never Buy an Online Slot Machine System!

Playing online slot machines has become increasingly popular, as online... Read More

Blackjack for Beginners

'Blackjack' is one of the oldest games played in United... Read More

College Football Betting - Point Spreads

But, in the college ranks, you see those types of... Read More