The call is one of four legal moves available to poker players. Along with the bet, raise, and fold, calls are a critical element in poker games. But when is poker calling effective and what poker strategies can you adopt? Read on for more.
What does call mean in poker?
For those less aware of the call in Texas Hold’Em cash games, it doesn’t involve picking up a telephone to place an opening bet.
No, calling is the mechanism whereby a player will match the amount of another player’s bet, either through a bet or raise.
A good example of this in terms of betting action will be when a player bets $50, and if you decide to call, then you must put $50 into the pot. Once you have signalled verbal actions to other players that you wish to call, then you must follow through with it.
When can you call in poker?
Making a call doesn’t necessarily mean you have a weak poker hand. If you are a professional poker player, for example, you have to establish the pot odds, and the principle for calling mirrors that of fold poker.
You should also consider your position within the game, so that when you say call fold or declare a premium hand, then you can do so with authority.
Remember, as you begin to get more comfortable during a betting round at the poker table, you will know when the best time to make a check raise will be.
What happens when you call in poker?
When you call at the poker table, your bets will match that or be equal to your opponent’s bets when you add chips to the pot.
Flat calls though are slightly different from regular checks, as players must add chips, but other players don’t have to do this when they check.
If a player refuses to call, the betting round ends, and the player that has made a raise will win the hand.
As you will see in the following section, a call can have a significant impact on the game, and it can help you win more money from the pot.
When to call in poker?
There are some fine examples of when you should call a bet in poker, especially if you find yourself in a promising early position on the board. We have explored them in more detail below.
When you have a decent hand
While it might not always seem cut and dry to call opponent bets, you should certainly initiate this play if you have a decent hand. You don’t necessarily need to have the best hand, unless, of course, you are simply calling to turn a raise into a bluff. As a general rule, if you can turn your hand into a bluff by making a raise or re raises, then this might convince Player B to show folded cards.
Slow playing a monster hand
If you can make a call when you are slow playing a monster hand, this can reap the rewards. For example, you might have the pocket aces and the flop comes A-2-9, so you will have the best hand or the “nuts” in the game. You can maximise your profit, and rather than raise, calling the bet would be the smart play in this situation. If you make a raise with your bet, you will indicate to other players that you have a big hand, and this in turn, could force your opponent to fold rather than go all in.
Protecting chips
With borderline cards, you want to be able to protect your chips when you play, especially as you need to think about the equity value with your initial bet. As such, player raises here aren’t worthwhile, and a flat call will allow you to stay involved without overextending the pot.
When not to call?
However, there are times when making a call on a bet is a poor decision, and it can cost you a lot of money.
Doing so with a weak hand
If you have a weak hand against a tight player, this will rarely work. Most poker players that are tight in range will rarely be folding preflop, and they will almost always have a big hand when they bet. If you decide to call a bet with a marginal hand, you will incur more losses in the long run.
Forget about the big blind
To call on the big blind is a cardinal sin. If you are the uncalled player who is “under the gun” the next player will continue their moves right through until the last round. If you don’t want to reraise, you should never play with a hand if you don’t feel wholly comfortable.
Don’t call to see the next card
Calling a bet just to see the next card can have untold consequences when betting during a round. You will be putting yourself into an uncompromising position, as the more equity you have, this in turn, will make the call fold play much harder to make when betting.
Ideally, you will only want to play if you can weigh up the odds for making premium hands.
What are other options in poker?
Aside from the call, there are a few other options when it comes to betting during a game.
- Folding – You can choose to fold in a game whereby you surrender your hand and you won’t win money from the pot. You should not expose cards to the other player when you fold.
- Raising – You can raise or re raise the size of an initial bet in the same betting round. A raise or re raise can be a good way to stifle players in the game.
- Checking – This involves deferring a bet, and poker means being able to react to different situations as and when they crop up. If there is a bet before them, they can’t check, and they can only fold, call, or raise.
Summary
Once you get your head around the term, the call is an invaluable part of poker, and if you want to improve your strategy, either a call or knowing when to try re raising will make life much easier for you.
We hope this guide has acted as a source of inspiration, so you can put your new-found call skills to the test today.