Fold in poker. What does mean and when to fold?

Poker games come with lots of different actions. But fold poker is an interesting concept. To expand your poker knowledge, we have dissected the term fold, and explain when to fold and when not to do so against other players.

What does fold mean in poker?

Folding is a fundamental part of the game. It refers to a poker player who surrenders their hands, and it ends their involvement in a game.

By folding, you don’t have to match your current bet, nevertheless, you will give up the right to win the hand. You can probably imagine how agonising that might be for some players who may have originally thought at the beginning of the round that they would be in a strong position to prevail.

Knowing when to fold during games will be critical, and this will vary from one player to the next. As you will see folding at the right moment can save you losing more money in the long term.

When can you fold in poker?

There are many variables to consider when it comes to folding at the poker table. This includes the betting range of your opponents, the pot odds, as well as the strength of your hands.

Of course, if you can’t stir up any profitable actions with your hole cards, then there are a few scenarios when folded cards will be the best course of action.

In the latter sections, we will assess the stages, such as the poker flop and later streets, which will determine when you should and shouldn’t consider folding.

What happens when you fold in poker

When you fold, you are essentially waving the white flag and letting other players know you have a weak hand.

But while you may have a mediocre starting hand, you shouldn’t consider losing chips as a mistake on your part. Most poker players will perceive folding as a flaw, whereas, instead it can be a sign of strength if you make such calls with authority.

When to fold in poker

There are several occasions when players in a poker room may decide to fold, and we have illustrated when they should do so at the table.

Folding pre flop

In the pre-flop, the reality is that around 40-50% of the hands you will be dealt with here should be folded. You will want to increase the number of hands you have to get as far away from the dealer button as possible.

As mentioned, you should know the ranges of your opponents before you choose to toss cards away.

Folding post flop

Although this gets a bit more tricky as there aren’t pre-determined ranges for players that you can follow, here is where you have to establish what the pot odds are. Those that like to use a game theory optimal approach might know when exactly to fold.

A player can determine how much of their range they wish to play or wait it out in the hope things get better. Working out minimum defense frequency (MDF) can be done by using the following equation – the pot size divided by the pot size and the size of the bet placed. You will also toss discarded cards into what is known as the muck.

There are a few occasions when you can fold during the post flop. You may do so, for example, when playing against a tight player who will bluff rarely or a recreational player that goes crazy with their bets and overbets the pot.

Folding on a top pair

Holding a top pair and folding may be considered strange to most poker players. That said, if you hold a poker hand that has a top pair and apply the MDF formula illustrated above, you could end up winning more money.

When not to fold

However, there are times when folding can make a big difference, and you could end up paying the price for it. We have outlined some of them and provided an example or two to clarify things.

Preflop

You should have a firm grasp of the type of hands you should be playing with preflop. An experienced player may know which hands they will raise with a particular position, but there are particular hands or bets you shouldn’t fold with if you find yourself in the following situation.

This is the case with big pocket pairs like AA, KK, or QQ, and JJ. Or you shouldn’t be tempted to fold with two cards that are sequential and suited, as these are also strong hands in a game.

Post flop

In the post flop, there will also be situations when you are playing, and you shouldn’t fold against your opponent’s bet. You may be tempted to fold against many players that are showing aggression at the table, but if you have good drawing hands or overpairs, then you should tread with caution.

So, if you have big hands at say the river stage, such as a straight, flush, or full house, then these cards shouldn’t contemplate the fold as it will seriously harm your chances of winning. Folding in the game is for quitters, and most fishy players will rarely quit.

The Math Behind The Fold

Folding in the game is based on weighing up the risk and reward elements of sacrificing chips, and the possibility of breaking even, otherwise known as Expected Value (EV).

As such, calling folds against people bluffing is based on a risk reward ratio: Risk/Risk + Reward % of the time to break even. For example, if you bet $50 into a $100 pot, the calculation would be as follows (21/5 +13.5) = 61% of the time. Bet size divided by Bet size and Pot size before the bet x 100. Here, the risk reward if trying to counter the bluff with folds is as follows: 50/(50+100) x 100 = 0.33 x 100 = 33%.

What is fold equity in poker?

If you need a heads-up at this point, we ought to remind you that fold equity is extremely important. It helps to shape and dictate optimal strategies for what you need to do on the later streets.

Whenever you have made a solid hand, you need to take into account the fold equity to make the highest and most valuable EV decision. The most important part of it is to counter bluffing, and it will keep your opponents guessing.

Poker hands to folding chart

Fold in poker common mistakes

There are a few common poker mistakes in games where some get caught up in the moment and fold, and we have outlined the problems below:

1. Make yourself a target – Your opponent will latch on if you play and folded too early. Some will be constantly looking to attack with the next hand and go all in, and that can make them easy to bluff.
2. You relinquish equity on the board – A gutshot is a hand that a player might use, and it provides some equity in terms of extracting money. By folding, your chances of winning with the next hand will dwindle. This isn’t a license to fold or muck, instead you should make a call and apply pressure on the later streets, such as the river.
3. You won’t force opponents to show their hand – With a marginal hand, let alone a big hand, you can imagine is hard to form a two pair. Anyway, your opponent could have had a weak hand. You will have missed a prime opportunity on the next card to question a supposed strong hand at the river from your opponent, and the chance to win the pot will have evaporated.

How often should you fold in poker?

Folding is something that shouldn’t be undertaken lightly as you will lose more in the blinds. There is a large difference between say folding 80% or 50% of the time. Rather than quitting too little or too often, you should aim to fold your chips around the middle. Keep in mind that when you raise with bad hands, the chances to win money slides.