Not A Doubt

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Hedging Your Bets

Betting in online poker drives all the action in the casino game. There are different protocols for different game formats, such as limit or no-limit. But one practice is consistent with all forms of online poker - and that is making a bet in one action. The stereotype of the poker player who says, “I call your bet” and puts in the chips, then follows it with “and I raise” is wrong and unacceptable at any poker game.

This is not an issue for online poker, where the software controls the betting action. But at live tables, one must always observe proper betting protocol and avoid the “string bet” - putting in chips, and then adding more as a second thought. The dealer will call this as a string bet, and your raise won’t be allowed.

There are two ways to avoid making a string bet when you want to raise. The easiest way is to simply declare “I raise.” A verbal bet is binding, so now the dealer and other players will wait for your raise. It’s best to announce the amount too. That way there is no confusion if you put in the wrong amount of chips because your verbal declaration is what counts.

It is also wise to announce your intention about calling or raising if you are putting in a chip that is larger than the previous bet. Often players don’t have the right denomination chip, and put in a larger denomination. Without a declaration of a raise, that larger denomination is considered a call, not a raise. If you intend the larger denomination chip to be a raise, then say so first to eliminate any confusion.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 27th, 2009 at 11:07 am and is filed under Best Gambling, The Fun Universe, Web Of Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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