Poker Skills – When to Raise and When to Call

Most poker players, even relative newcomers to the game, understand that raising is usually a stronger call than calling, but let's take a look at the difference and when to use each play. There will be the rare occasion when it is in your best interests simply to limp along with the hands, but just ensure that this is not a frequent habit. The reasons for this are as follows:

-Calling is a sign of weakness and makes you a target to the other players.

-The person who raises will dictate the progress of the hand as well as the game as a whole.

If you have a solid hand of cards then it is crucial that you step in and assert your dominance, and exploit your head start as firmly as you possibly can. That said, there is always exceptions to rules and so it is strongly advised that you do not try to raise a pot simply with jacks, especially if there has already been more than one raise before the flop.

Ask any poker who has been round the block a few times will be able to tell you this little nugget of information: during a No-Limit match, he who continuously calls us making a target of himself and will be quickly targeted by the other players . Where possible, avoid calling at all because it will simply get you into trouble. For those of us who would like things broken a little more simple than that try this for size: if your hand is not useful enough to be used for raising the pot, then you should not be playing at all.

Another danger of calling is that the overwhelming majority of players will then out bet you for any consequent pots because they do not perceive you as any sort of threat or danger to them. In No Limit, it is all about how you are perceived and so if you raise after the flop then you are perceived as strong and therefore will be less likely to be challenged.

The Raiser Controls the Hand

Whenever you make the decision to raise a hand, you are effectively exercising your authority and control over the players because you are now showing how deadly serious you are. Raising the hand serves as a warning sign: if someone rises against you, they better take you out because you will not show them any mercy. Whilst this is a lesson that is true of any variation of poker, it is especially apt.

After I have raised any hand I will almost always follow this up with a bet on the flop, although the important caveat to this rule is that there must be less than three people currently playing otherwise I will not bother. I use this strategy to good effect because I have thrown down the gauntlet and established the boundaries which clearly means that they have to be on their guard.

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Source by Billy Kernow