Betting

Four types of betting existing in poker: Call, Check, Raise and Fold.

• To call is to match a bet, or to match a raise
• To check is to take no action. If the player has placed the minimum bet on the table (i.e. the big blind), he can choose to call (i.e. neither raise, or fold)
• To raise is to increase the size of the bet required to stay in the pot. All other players must match (or call) the raise, or re-raise if they wish to continue.
• To fold is to discard one’s hand. Any amount already bet by a player who folds is hereby forfeit. When a player folds, he gives his cards face side down to the dealer.

Preflop Betting
Once the blinds have been “posted” the first round of betting begins with the player directly to the left of the Big Blind. At this stage he cannot check, because the minimum bet has already been placed by the big blind. He can therefore either call (by placing into the pot the amount of the big blind), raise (by increasing this amount), or fold.

All the remaining players will also make a decision to call, raise of fold, until it’s up to the Small Blind, who already put-in half of the initial bet. Like his opponents, he can fold, call or raise. But since he already put half the initial bet into the pot, calling won’t be as expensive for him.
Likewise the Big Blind, who already paid the full bet before the deal began assuming that no one has raised, can opt to check and go on to the next round of betting for free. Of course, the both the Small Blind and the Big Blind also have the possibility to raise or fold.