In poker, “calling” refers to the action of matching the current bet or raise made by another player during a betting round. When you call, you are essentially putting an amount of chips into the pot equal to the bet or raise made by the preceding player, without increasing the size of the pot beyond that amount.
What does calling mean in poker?
Here’s how calling works in poker:
- Betting Round: Poker games consist of multiple betting rounds. In a typical hand of Texas Hold’em, for example, there are four betting rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn, and river.
- Betting Actions: During each betting round, players have several options: they can fold (discard their hand and forfeit the current pot), call (match the current bet or raise), or raise (increase the size of the current bet).
- Calling: When a player decides to call, they put an amount of chips into the pot that is equal to the current bet or raise. This signifies their intent to continue playing the hand and compete for the pot.
- Pot Size: Calling does not increase the total size of the pot beyond what it was before the call. It simply allows the player to stay in the hand and see the next card(s) or continue to the next betting round.
Here’s an example of calling in a hand of Texas Hold’em:
- Player A bets $10.
- Player B decides to call the $10 bet, which means they put $10 into the pot, matching the amount wagered by Player A.
- Player C, instead of calling, might choose to fold (discard their hand).
After Player B’s call, the pot will contain $20 (the $10 bet from Player A and the $10 call from Player B). The hand continues to the next betting round or, if all players have acted, to the showdown.
Calling is a fundamental action in poker and is used by players to stay in a hand, see additional community cards, and potentially win the pot if they have the best hand at the showdown. Players choose when to call based on their assessment of their hand’s strength, the current betting action, and their strategy for the hand.