As a beginner poker player, you must have come across the terms like ‘buying poker action’, or you must have heard people talk about the importance of poker positions. All of those are essential for you to build your game plan. Advanced players use these actions to maximize their profits and increase their chances to win as it is part of their strategy. There is a direct relation with the action you go for, the poker hands you have at your disposal, and the size of the pot. You will find that players with strong hands will look for a way to play aggressive and increase the pot size. On the contrary, players with weak hands will play conservatively and often fold.
Players who understand poker to its core use these actions and incorporate them into their strategy in such a way that their win rate can be boosted extensively. Meanwhile, a newcomer might not even know these terms and go purely on instincts. Many factors play into which direction the pot swings. However, there is no denying the impact these actions have on them. Sometimes players could also use bluffing techniques and trick the opposition into believing they have a strong hand. All of these mind games are played using poker actions. As you learn how to play poker, it is key to your growth and survival to be used to these actions and know their use, and that is where this article will be helpful to you.
Poker Actions Phrases
Knowing the different action phrases and understanding its use is a key to profit in poker. Here are the actions you will have to know about to push you near to your target during your next poker game.
Bet – When no other wagers have been made in the current street, and you make a wager and place it in the pot, you are said to be making a bet.
Call – When a person makes a bet on a street, you have the option to match that same wager which is called as calling. If you do not wish even to add that much amount, you discard your hand by folding.
Fold – When you do not wish to add to the pot value, you can decide to discard your hand. By doing so, you give up all chances of winning the pot. This is called making a fold.
Check – If no bets are made at a street before you play, you have the option to check which would mean for the person to the left of you having to make an action instead of yourself since you can only either call, fold, or raise in such a situation. It is a safe option if available because your turn is skipped.
Raise – When you raise the betting amount with additional investment to the pot, it is known as raise to which the initial better has to either match the added value, fold or re-raise.
Re-raise – If you make a bet and someone raises to it, you have the option to add to the raised value, fold, or re-raise. By re-raising to add even more value to the raise and so it is the third action in the sequence of betting, raising and re-raising.
Betting Sequences in Poker
Actions in poker are often linked together to form a strategy or describe how the game has gone. Here are some additional poker phrases related to actions that you must know.
Bet-call – You bet on the current street and call when facing a raise.
Check-fold – You check on the current street and fold when facing a bet.
Bet-raise – You bet on the current street and re-raise when facing a raise.
Check/Check - When a street gets checked through, that is when no wagers are made.
Bet, Bet, Check – When you bet at the flop and turn before checking at the river.
Two-bet – The second bet or the first raise in a sequence
Three-bet – The third bet or second raise in a sequence
Four-bet – The fourth bet or third raise in a sequence
Five-bet – The fifth bet or the fourth raise in a sequence
Whether you wish to play Texas Hold’em or Americana Poker, knowing the names of these actions and what they represent will surely take your game to a higher level. It is absolutely necessary to learn about these topics to brush up your basics by going through the official Spartan Poker website and spending time reading some of our blogs, you will get the most simplified poker lessons you’ll ever need. And once you find yourself to be ready, you can always join one of our tournaments, play real money poker games and put your skills to the test.
