2.1.3.3 Betting Actions

In most situations, each player has 3 different actions to choose from. Each action directly affects the number of active players, the size of the pot, and the required contribution to remain active in the game. Here are the 3 action categories and 5 different actions that fit into those categories:

• Fold: Drop from the game (become inactive). A player who folds is no longer eligible to win the pot. The player is now out of the current game and loses the money that has been contributed to the pot.

• Call: Match the current per-player contribution ( e.g. if player A has contributed $12 (the most) and player B $8, then B must place an additional $4, the amount to call, in the pot). A check is a special case of calling when the current amount to call is $0 (which is usually the case with the first active player). It means you forego opening the betting for the round.

• Raise: Increase the current per-player contribution ( e.g. if player A has contributed $12 and player B $8, then B can put $8 into the pot (a raise of $4) to make the required contribution $16). A bet is a special case of raising when the current amount to call is $0. It means you open the betting for the round.

At any point in the game a player will have three actions available: fold/check/bet or fold/call/raise. An exception occurs in games with blinds where a player was forced to blind bet and everyone else calls or folds. Since the player was not originally given a choice, they are given an option to raise when the action returns to them (the amount to call is $0). The available actions are fold/check/raise; check because it is $0 to call and raise because there has already been a bet (the blind). Another exception can occur because there is normally a limit of 4 raises (including the initial bet or blind). If it is a player's turn and the betting has already been capped (no more raises allowed) the available actions are fold/call.