Editing Betting in poker (section)

===Open, bet, raise===
If in any betting round it is a player's turn to act and the action is unopened, then the player can open action in a betting round by making a '''bet'''—the act of making the first voluntary bet in a betting round is called '''opening''' the round. On the first betting round, it is also called '''opening the pot''', though in variants where ''blind bets'' are common, the blind bets "open" the first betting round and other players call and/or raise the "big blind" bet. Some [[List of poker variants|poker variations]] have special rules about opening a round that may not apply to other bets. For example, a game may have a betting structure that specifies different allowable amounts for opening than for other bets, or may require a player to hold certain cards (such as "Jacks or better") to open.

[[File:Poker in a casino table.jpg|thumb|upright|The ''pot'' of chips is normally kept in the center of the table]]
Normally, a player makes a bet by placing the chips they wish to wager into the pot. Under normal circumstances, all other players still in the pot must either call the full amount of the bet or raise if they wish to remain in, the only exceptions being when a player does not have sufficient stake remaining to call the full amount of the bet (in which case they may either call with their remaining stake to go "all-in" or fold) or when the player is already all-in.

To '''raise''' is to increase the size of an existing bet in the same betting round. A player making the second (not counting the open) or subsequent raise of a betting round is said to '''re-raise'''. A player making a raise after previously checking in the same betting round is said to '''check-raise'''. The sum of the opening bet and all raises is the amount that all players in the hand must call in order to remain eligible to win the pot, subject to the table stakes rules described in the previous paragraph.

A [[Bluff (poker)|bluff]] is when a player bets or raises when it is likely they do not have the best hand; it is often done in hopes that (an) opponent(s) will fold mediocre yet stronger hands. When a player bets or raises with a weak hand that has a chance of improvement on a later betting round, the bet or raise is classified as a [[Bluff (poker)#Semi-bluff|semi-bluff]]. On the other hand, a bet made by a player who hopes or expects to be called by weaker hands is classified as a [[Poker jargon#value bet|value bet]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lessinger |first=Mr Matt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WbkE4Z-EsUsC&q=poker+bluff |title=The Book of Bluffs: How to Bluff and Win at Poker |date=2007 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=978-0-446-50715-8 |language=en}}</ref>

In no-limit and pot-limit games, there is a minimum amount that is required to be bet in order to open the action. In games with blinds, this amount is usually the amount of the big blind. Modern poker rules require that raises must be at least equal to the amount of the previous bet or raise. For example, if an opponent bets $5, a player must raise by at least another $5, and they may not raise by only $2. If a player raises a bet of $5 by $7 (for a total of $12), the next re-raise would have to be by at least another $7 (the previous raise) more than the $12 (for a total of at least $19).  The primary purpose of the minimum raise rule is to avoid game delays caused by "nuisance" raises (small raises of large bets, such as an extra $1 over a current bet of $50, that have little effect on the action but take time as all others must call). This rule is overridden by [[#Table stakes rules|table stakes rules]], so that a player may in fact raise a $5 bet by $2 if that $2 is their entire remaining stake. The only exception is if someone goes all in for less than a legal raise. For example, if the minimum bet is $5 and a player goes all in for $4, the next player can call the $4; if they want to raise, they would have to make it $9 ($4 plus the minimum bet).

In no-limit and pot-limit games, if a player opens action in a betting round by placing any number of chips in the pot without a verbal declaration, or if they place two or more chips in the pot of sufficient value to raise an outstanding bet or raise without a verbal declaration, then the full amount placed in the pot will be assumed to be the amount of the bet or raise. Sometimes, a player will not have enough chips in smaller denominations that would be needed to make a bet or raise in the desired amount—for example, a player may be out of $1 and $5 chips and still have $25 chips—if the pot is currently $70 and the player wants to open action by betting half the pot, they will want to bet $35. In such cases, instead of slowing down the game by asking the dealer or another player to provide "change" a player may simply verbally declare the amount they are betting while placing (a) chip(s) of sufficient value to make good on the bet. Any "change" will be returned to them by the dealer if necessary.

Also in no-limit and pot-limit games, a raise may be expressed as either a ''raise by $X'' or a ''raise to $X''. For example, suppose Alice opens by betting $5. If Dianne subsequently announces "I raise ''by'' $15" she will be raising by $15 ''over and above'' the opening bet of $5, for a total bet of $20. On the other hand, if Dianne subsequently announces "I raise ''to'' $15" she will be raising by only $10 for a ''total bet'' of $15. Today, most public cardrooms prefer for players to use the ''raise to'' standard as opposed to the ''raise by'' standard. In the event of any ambiguity in a player's verbal action while raising, the player will normally be bound to raise ''to'' the stated amount. For example, if Alice were to have opened with a $5 bet and Dianne subsequently announced "raise, $15" while putting $15 into pot (making the pot $20), in most public cardrooms Dianne would be bound to a ''total bet'' of $15 and the "excess" $5 would be returned to her.

In fixed-limit games, the size of bets and raises is determined by the specified stakes. For example, in $3/$6 fixed limit Hold 'em, during the first two betting rounds (preflop and flop) the big blind is $3, the opening bet after the flop must be for $3 and all raises must be for $3. For the last two betting rounds (turn and river) the opening bet must be for $6 and all raises must be for $6. As in no-limit and pot-limit games, these amounts will be over-ridden by table stakes rules (so for example, in $3/$6 fixed limit Hold 'em a player could bet, raise or call for only $2 at any time if that is their remaining stake).

Also, in fixed-limit and spread-limit games most [[casino]]s cap the total number of raises allowed in a single betting round (typically three or four, not including the opening bet of a round).  For example, in a casino with a three-raise rule, if one player opens the betting for $5, the next raises by $5 making it $10, a third player raises another $5, and a fourth player raises $5 again making the current bet $20, the betting is said to be '''capped''' at that point, and no further raises beyond the $20 level will be allowed on that round.  It is common to suspend this rule when there are only two players betting in the round (called being '''heads-up'''), since either player can call the last raise if they wish. Pot-limit and no-limit games do not have a limit on the number of raises.

If, because of opening or raising, there is an amount bet that the player in-turn has not paid, the player must at least match that amount, or must fold; the player cannot pass or call a lesser amount (except where [[#Table stakes rules|table stakes rules]] apply).