Poker Betting Turns
On all real money poker games the action takes place in 3 turns. In these betting rounds the stakes in the pot accumulate and unless all but one of the players decide to fold before the start of the third round , the last turn decides the ultimate winner of the pot.
The Flop
It's a common rule in the online poker rooms that the first cash bet must be exactly double the agreed individual ante that players will already have put into the pot.
The first player due to bet have 3 options:
- He can fold by giving his cards back to the dealer, to be placed face down at the bottom of the remainder of the pack.
- He may Check
- He may stake the amount required for a first bet, i.e. double the "ante" he had to put into the pot originally.
The betting now continues clockwise around the table.
If the first player folds the next player inherits his three options. If the first player checks, the next player inherits all his options. However, once any player makes a bet the next and subsequent players are not allowed to check; their options are reduced to folding, or betting. The second and subsequent players who do decide to bet must always bet the same or double the amount bet by the previous bettor.
Each player in the first turn has the right either to check, to equal or double the last bet subject to any pot limits. For example, if player 1 has bet 2 chips, and player 2 has bet 4 chips, player 3 will be able to bet 4 or 8 chips unless the rules stipulate that no more than 4 chips can be bet in the first round.
When the last player in the first round has spoken, both those who checked and those who may have bet less than a later higher bet, can opt to put in the amount required to make their stake equal to the highest bet made if they wish to stay in the game; or they can give up their cards, losing the money in the pot they have put in up to that time. They cannot increase their bet beyond the amount of the previous highest bet in this first round. Should all players decide to check, the game moves straight on to the second turn.
The Turn
The dealer now deals another card face up to those players still remaining in. Another round of betting takes place, led by the player whose two face-up cards taken together are the best.
The first bettor in the second turn is no longer obliged to double the ante. However, apart from that the same rules apply to the betting on the second round as apply to the betting on the first round, with two exceptions:
- If a player makes a bet which gets doubled he may increase his initial bet in the round by any amount he chooses within the permitted maximum bet. The minimum bet to stay in the game would be to equal the opposing bet.
- If a player goes for an additional increase then the other players have to match that increase or fold but they are not permitted to increase the bet still further.
The River
The dealer deals a fifth and last card to each player, again face up. Assuming that the player to bet first has not fold after getting this card, he may check or bet as before. In the event of all of the other players also checking in this the last round, each reveals his cards and the one with the best combination takes the pot. If any of the hands revealed are exactly equal the players involved share the pot.
If one of the players bet and all the other players fold, the sole bettor takes the pot and does not have to show his cards. Whenever a player raises a prior bet in the third and last round the other players who previously bet less have the right to fold, to match and "call", or to increase.
In theory players could keep increasing prior bets forever; in practice they won't do that because the online poker site has a betting limit or because the other players don't want to match the bet. Even if you play at the No limit Texas Holdem tables there will always be a limitation on the risk the other players are willing to take. The fact that is always allowed for the other players to raise or call the highest bettor is one of the factors that distinguishes poker as a gambling game.