Types and rules of bets in poker

The topic of this article is poker bets, their main types and rules. We will try to find out how their minimum and maximum sizes are determined, we will find out which bets are mandatory, we will clarify the order in which they are made and the circumstances that allow an increase – an increase in the rate. Let’s start with the main thing, the bet is exactly what makes poker so intriguing and ensures its popularity as a tournament, let’s not be afraid of this word – “sport”. From the stakes, the bank of the table is collected, which in turn is the cherished goal of each of those participating in the game.

If you are a beginner poker player or just planning to master poker, you definitely need to master the knowledge of the basic rules for betting. Regardless of the format of the game that you choose – at the table with friends, in poker rooms or reach the big tournaments. Let’s get to know them better. Stakes in poker with different limits As we have already reported in the review article about Texas Hold’em, there are three types of poker distributed by table limits. These are limit, pot-limit and no-limit. And the rates in them have their own characteristic differences in the size of the maximum, and sometimes the minimum rate. In limit poker, the possible minimum and maximum sizes of allowed bets are always strictly indicated and the player does not have the opportunity to bet less or more than the established limits – hence the name. For each limit table, two limits are set – the lowest (minimum) and the highest (maximum) Bet. In the first two rounds of betting – on the preflop and flop, the bet is equal to the lower Bet, and in the final stages, such as the turn and river – they put chips equal to the highest Bet of the table. Note that the raise (increase) in this case cannot be higher than the set maximum. In the pot-limit version of poker, the maximum bet size directly depends on the size of the Pot – the bank of the game, which means it can increase in parallel with the increase in the pot during the game. The minimum bet is the number of chips equal to the big blind of the table. We understand that in the later rounds of pot-limit poker, the raise size can be quite high, as all players will constantly add to the amount of chips in the Pot. No-limit poker does not provide for maximum bet limits at all. At the minimum – only one rule – the smallest allowable bet must correspond to the size of the table’s mandatory big blind. In this case, players can raise (raise) or even go all-in (all-in) on any of the betting rounds and on any poker street. Mandatory stakes in poker Now let’s find out what stakes in poker are mandatory in different types of this game. Each of them has its own specific order and purpose. These include the following bets: Ante, Small (SB) and Big (BB) blinds, as well as Bring-in. Ante – a mandatory bet, which is not included in all variations of poker. Most often it is used at special tables and poker tournaments. The Ante bet must be made by each of the participants at the table where it is used. The size of the ante can vary from one sixth to one half of the big blind (BB). The stake is applied at the same time as the blind stakes. The Big and Small Blinds are one of the most common mandatory bets. It is found in the following types of poker: Texas Hold’em and Omaha Hold’em, in Badugi and five-card poker, as well as in Crushavel poker. These are the so-called blind bets, which must be made by the first two to the left of the button (the person with the dealer’s chip) of the table participant, before the cards are distributed to the participants. Blind sizes are negotiated in advance. Bring-in is a mandatory bet used in Razz Poker, Stud Hi-Lo and Stud Poker, that is, in those types of games where small and big blinds are not used. The Bring-in bet is made by the table participant who has the most, so to speak, “bad” first open card. So in Stud Hi-Lo and Razz, the “badest” card is the card of the highest value, and in Stud poker, on the contrary, it is the card of the lowest denomination. Note that the Bring-in is a mandatory adjusted bet – the player may not bet it, but replace it with a full-fledged option – that is, make a Bet. It is blind, mandatory bets that begin to collect the bank of the game even before the first round of bidding. Note that in poker tournaments, during the game, the sizes of these bets are periodically increased, not only to inflame passions, but also to limit the time of the tournament so that it does not drag on for too long. The order of bets – the order of decision-making Let’s consider the order of priority for making bets and immediately recall that in any of the types or variants of poker – there is always a strict unconditional order of decision-making. The player only acts when it is his turn. These rules cannot be broken. Of course, for those who have chosen online poker for themselves, there is no way to make a mistake – everything is decided by the program, that is, the “machine” will not give you the opportunity to do anything out of turn. But at live tables you need to be able to navigate all the streets of trade. The first and basic rule of the sequence is movement in a clockwise direction, that is, from left to right. Who exactly will “walk” first determines the trading stage. On the first round of the game – on the preflop, after the blinds are made, the player sitting first to the left of the Big Blind (BB) starts. And already on all other rounds, the player who made the Small Blind at the preflop stage starts. In the event that on the following rounds after the flop (post-flop), the player who was supposed to start for one reason or another left the table, then the right to the first move is transferred to the next (clockwise) participant from the left and so on if necessary. We also note that even in one round of betting, a player or players can perform not one, but several actions until the bets are equalized, that is, until the full circle is completed. For example – you made a bet, one of the participants answered, and someone raised – made a raise – so you again need to make a decision. The rules for raising – raising the bet – also have their own characteristics depending on the type of poker limits. Summing up the original results, we see that poker needs bets very much, they fill the bank and increase the desire of participants to take possession of this bank. In certain types of poker there are bets that are mandatory for each participant. The order of bidding determines the order in which the player makes decisions. So learn the materials, practice carefully against the right opponents, guard your stack and bet wisely.