In poker, the fold is to discard one’s cards and forfeit interest in the current pot. It is indicated verbally or by placing the cards face down in a pile of other discarded cards called the muck. When a player folds they cannot re-enter the hand and can only win the remaining pot money at showdown. In some games, players are required to expose their concealed cards when they declare that they fold.
A bet is an amount of chips placed in the pot by a player to start the betting round, or to increase an existing bet. A bet is often placed with the intention of bluffing on later betting rounds or to improve one’s own hand. A bet may be raised or lowered as the action progresses. In no-limit or pot-limit games, there is a minimum amount that must be bet to open the action. If a player has insufficient stake remaining to call the amount of a raise, they can fold or bet their entire stack to go all in (subject to any table stakes rules that apply).
To “call” a bet is to place a number of equal-sized chips into the pot in response to a previous player’s bet. This is typically done when a player has a weak hand and suspects that an opponent may be bluffing. Calling a bet in the final betting round when a player believes they have the best hand is known as a crying call, while calling a bet when one knows their opponents are not bluffing but thinks that their opponents are trying to improve their weak hands is known as a hero call.
Some poker games require all players to protect their cards at all times. This is commonly done by holding the cards or, if they are on the table, by tapping them with a fist, knuckles, an open hand, or the index finger(s). In other games, the player is allowed to tap their own cards when it is their turn to act.
Most poker games have a fixed structure for the distribution of the blinds and antes. In general, the player to the left of the dealer acts first and the action proceeds clockwise. The player to the right of the dealer is obliged to post the bring-in if it is not posted by the player to their left. This arrangement is sometimes referred to as a two-blind or a bring-in structure.
If a player is not in the hand at the beginning of the betting round, they can “straddle” to obtain last action, but this is generally considered poor strategy by experts. In addition to the extra cost of raising the blinds, straddling can enrich the average pot size, which is usually counterproductive in terms of profitability.
A player may make a bet by putting the total of their desired number of chips into the pot, although it is customary to place them in front of the player and not directly into the pot (splashing the pot makes it difficult for other players to verify the amount of the bet). If a player fails to raise during a betting round they must fold if they wish to remain in the hand; they cannot call a lower bet or pass.