Lesson 4: Calling
In this lesson, you will learn the strategies used in calling. This lesson will introduce you to the various situations that promote calling a hand.
Lesson Objectives
- To understand what calling a hand means
- To know when to call a hand
There will be a multiple-choice quiz at the end of the lesson that will test your understanding of the lesson’s concepts.
Introduction
Calling a hand means putting money in the pot to match a bet that has been made before your turn to act. In order to play your starting hand, your two pocket cards, you must call the big blind bet and any other raises that are made before the action gets to you. If a player after you re-raises the bet, you will have to match that amount as well to stay in the hand.
The number one reason that players lose money is that they play too many hands. This means they call too much. The most important decision a player can make is deciding which starting hands to play. You want to play a starting hand if you have a pocket pair or if you have a high probability of drawing a hand in the flop.
Whether or not you enter a hand will depend on several important considerations:
- The strength of your hand
- Your position in the betting round
- How many players have entered the pot
- If the pot was raised in front of you
