Editing Betting in poker (section)

==Limits==
Betting limits apply to the amount a player may open or raise, and come in four common forms: ''no limit'', ''pot limit'' (the two collectively called '''big bet poker'''), ''fixed limit'', and ''spread limit''.

All such games have a minimum bet as well as the stated maximums, and also commonly a '''betting unit''', which is the smallest denomination in which bets can be made.  For example, it is common for games with $20 and $40 betting limits to have a minimum betting unit of $5, so that all bets must be in multiples of $5, to simplify game play.  It is also common for some games to have a bring-in that is less than the minimum for other bets.  In this case, players may either call the bring-in, or raise to the full amount of a normal bet, called '''completing''' the bet.

===Fixed limit===
In a game played with a '''fixed-limit''' betting structure, a player chooses only whether to bet or not—the amount is fixed by rule in most situations.  To enable the possibility of [[bluff (poker)|bluff]]ing and [[protection (poker)|protection]], the fixed amount generally doubles at some point in the game.  This double wager amount is referred to as a '''[[big bet]]'''.

For example, a four-round game called "20 and 40 limit" (usually written as $20/$40) may specify that each bet in the first two rounds is $20, and that each ''[[big bet]]'' used in the third and fourth rounds is $40. This amount applies to each raise, not the total amount bet in a round, so a player may bet $20, be raised by $20, and then re-raise by another $20, for a total bet of $60, in such a game.

Some limit games have rules for specific situations allowing a player to choose between a small or big bet. For example, in [[Seven-card stud|seven-card stud high]], when a player has a face-up pair on the second round (4th street), players may choose a small or big bet (e.g. $20 or $40 in a 20–40 game).

====Maximum number of raises====
Most fixed-limit games will not allow more than a predefined number of raises in a betting round.  The maximum number of raises depends on the casino [[house rules]], and is usually posted conspicuously in the card room.  Typically, an initial bet plus either three or four raises are allowed.

Consider this example in a $20/$40 game, with a posted limit of a bet and three raises.  During a $20 round with three players, play could proceed as follows:
:* Player A bets $20.
:* Player B puts in another bet, raises another $20, making it $40 to play.
:* Player C puts in a third bet, raising another $20 on that, thus making it $60 to play.
:* Player A puts in the fourth bet (they are usually said to  '''cap''' the betting).

Once Player A has made their final bet, Players B and C may only call another two and one bets (respectively); they may not raise again because the betting is '''capped'''.

A common exception in this rule practiced in some card rooms is to allow unlimited raising when a pot is played [[List of poker terms|heads up]] (when only two players are in the hand at the start of the betting round).  Usually, this has occurred because all other players have folded, and only two remain, although it is also practiced when only two players get dealt in.  Many card rooms will permit these two players to continue re-raising each other until one player is [[#"All in"|all in]].

====Kill game====
{{main|Kill game (poker)}}
Sometimes a fixed-limit game is played as a '''kill game'''. In such a game, a '''kill hand''' is triggered when a player wins a pot over a certain predetermined amount, or when the player wins a certain number of consecutive hands. The player triggering the kill must post a '''kill blind''', generally either 1.5 times (a '''half kill''') or double (a '''full kill''') the amount of the big blind. In addition, the betting limits for the kill hand are multiplied by 1.5 or doubled, respectively.

The term '''kill''', when used in this context, should not be confused with ''killing a hand'', which is a term used for a hand that was made a [[Poker jargon#dead hand|dead hand]] by action of a game official.

===Spread limit===
A game played with a '''spread-limit''' betting structure allows a player to raise any amount within a specified range.  For example, a game called "one to five limit" allows each bet to be anywhere from $1 to $5 (subject to other betting rules).  These limits are typically larger in later rounds of multi-round games.  For example, a game might be "one to five, ten on the end", meaning that early betting rounds allow bets of $1 to $5, and the last betting round allows bets of $1 to $10.
Playing spread-limit requires some care to avoid giving easy tells with one's choice of bets. Beginners frequently give themselves away by betting high with strong hands and low with weak ones, for instance. It is also harder to force other players out with big bets.

There is a variation of this known as "California Spread," where the range is much higher, such as 3–100 or 10–1000.  California Spread, as the name implies, is played in California, Colorado, and Minnesota, where local laws forbid no limit.

===Half-pot limit===
In a '''half-pot limit''' game, no player can raise more than the half of the size of the total pot. Half-pot limit games are often played at non-high-low games including [[Badugi]] in [[South Korea]].

===Pot limit===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:25% float:right" align="right"
|-
| colspan="2"|'''TABLE 1'''
|-
! Action || Pot size
|-
| $20 from first round
| $20 Starting Pot
|-
| Player A bets $5
|$20 Starting pot
$&nbsp;&nbsp;5 Player A's bet<br>
———<br>
$25 New pot total
|-
|Player B declares "Pot"
|$20 Starting pot<br>
$&nbsp;&nbsp;5 Player A's bet<br>
$&nbsp;&nbsp;5 Player B's call*<br>
———<br>
$30 Pot<br>
$30 Player B's raise*<br>
———<br>
$60 New pot total
 (*these amounts total $35,
   Player B's pot raise)
|-
|Player C calls
|$20 Starting pot<br>
$&nbsp;&nbsp;5 Player A's bet<br>
$35 Player B's pot raise<br>
$35 Player C's call<br>
———<br>
$95 New pot total
|-
|Player D declares "Pot"
|$20 Starting pot<br>
$&nbsp;&nbsp;5 Player A's bet<br>
$35 Player B's pot bet<br>
$35 Player C's call<br>
$35 Player D's call*<br>
———<br>
$130 Pot<br>
$130 Player D's raise*<br>
———<br>
$260 New pot total
 (*these amounts total $165<br>
   Player D's pot raise)
|-
|Players A folds;<br>Players B and C call
|$20 Starting pot<br>
$&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5 Player A's bet<br>
$&nbsp;&nbsp;35 Player B's pot bet<br>
$&nbsp;&nbsp;35 Player C's call<br>
$165 Player D's pot raise<br>
$&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;0 Player A folds<br>
$130 Player B's call<br>
$130 Player C's call<br>
———<br>
$520 New pot total
|}
In a '''pot-limit''' game no player can raise more than the size of the total pot, which includes:
# Chips collected from previous betting rounds (Starting pot)
# Previous action in the current betting round (Trail)
# A call from the player making the raise
This does not preclude a player from raising less than the maximum so long as the amount of the raise is equal to or greater than any previous bet or raise in the same betting round.

Making a maximum raise is referred to as "raising the pot", or "potting", and can be announced by the acting player by declaring "Raise pot", or simply "Pot".

If there is $20 in the pot at the start of a betting round in a $2/$5 pot limit game, and Player A bets $5, player B may "raise the pot" and wager $35 creating a new pot total of $60. This is derived from the $20 previous round action, Player A's $5 bet, Player B's $5 call, and player B's $30 Pot Raise ($20+$5+$5+$30=$60).  Bear in mind, however, that $60 is the ''new'' pot, player B's "Pot" declaration will cost them $35. (These actions, with additional follow-up wagering, are laid out in Table '1' on the right.)

Only pot limit games allow the dealer, on request, to inform the players of the pot size and the amount of a pot raise before it's made.  The dealer is also required to push any amount over the maximum raise back to the offending player.  Keeping track of those numbers can be harrowing if the action becomes heated, but there are simple calculations that allow a dealer or player to keep track of the maximum raise amount.  Here is an example:
:::(3'''L'''+'''T''')+'''S'''='''M'''
::where:
:::'''L'''=last wager '''T'''=trail(action prior to previous bet) '''S'''=starting pot(previous round action) and '''M'''=maximum bet
Going to player D's actions in TABLE 1 on the right:
::The last wager made was made by Player C ($35), so '''L'''=$35
::The trail is the total of Player A+Player B ($5+$35), so '''T'''=$40
::The starting pot is $20, so '''S'''=$20
::The value of '''M'''(maximum bet) is $165
:::('''35'''*3)+'''40'''+'''20'''=$'''165'''
After some practice, it is not difficult to keep up with the action at the table.

There may be some variance between cash and tournament play in pot limit betting structures, which should be noted:
* At some cash tables, it may ''not'' be a requirement that the dealer immediately return the extra amount of an overbet.  If the over bet is not contested by a player before any additional action, the wager stands.  If the overbet is contested, the dealer must know the overage amount, and return it to the offending player.  This is something to find out before sitting at the table.
*Tournaments use a "True Pot" method of calculations, where the first round maximum raise to the first acting player is seven times the small blind.  The blinds in a cash game, however, may not be a half and full bet (e.g. $2/$5) making the calculations run awry.  In these cases a modification known as "Assumed Call" is used. Using an assumed call, the maximum raise to the first acting player in the first round is four times the ''big'' blind.  Simply enough, the pot is treated as if the small blind had called, even if that player folded, to keep the pot's math more manageable.
Because the calculations can be confusing, especially as tournament blind levels increase, major tournaments will include the amount of the small blind, big blind, minimum raise and maximum raise with the printed blind schedule and/or display them on the tournament timer.

There can be some confusion about the small blind.  Some (usually home) games treat the small blind as dead money that is pulled into the center pot. In a $10/$25 pot limit game, the small blind puts $10 into the pot before the cards are dealt.  Using the dead money reasoning, the small blind would put another $25 into the pot to call the big blind, for a total of $35.  The big blind might then check for $25, which would enable that player to win out of proportion to their wager.

This is not equitable; it's simple enough to consider that the small blind has made a half bet and must complete that bet for $15 to call, or raise, or fold for $10.

===No limit===
A game played with a '''no-limit''' betting structure allows each player to raise the bet by any amount up to and including their entire remaining stack at any time (subject to the table stakes rules and any other rules about raising).<ref>[http://www.rgpfaq.com/no-limit.html What are the betting and raising rules in No Limit?] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060510190719/http://www.rgpfaq.com/no-limit.html |date=May 10, 2006 }}, rec.gambling.poker FAQ</ref> There is generally a minimum opening bet, and raises usually must be at least the amount of the previous raise.

===Cap limit===
Hands in a '''cap limit''' or "capped" structure are played exactly the same as in regular no limit or pot limit games until a pre-determined maximum per player is reached. Once the betting cap is reached, all players left in the hand are considered [[Glossary of poker terms#A|all-in]], and the remaining cards dealt out with no more wagering.

For example, in a $1/$2 NL ($60 cap):

''Player A bets $2. Player B raises to $10. Player C can then raise to a max of $60, and players A & B can call the $60 wager ($58 and $50 respectively).  There would be no further wagering, and the winner would collect $180.''

Cap limit games offer a similar action and strategy to no limit and pot limit games, but without risking an entire stack on a single hand.