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String Bets
A "string bet" is a bet that initially looks like a call, but then turns out to
be a raise. Once your hand has put some chips out, you may not go back to your
stack to get more chips and increase the size of your bet, unless you verbally
declared the size of your bet at the beginning. If you always declare "call" or
"raise" as you bet, you will be immune to this problem. Note that a verbal
declaration in turn is binding, so a verbal string bet is possible and also
prohibited. That means you cannot say "I call your $5, and raise you another
$5!" Once you have said you call, that's it. The rest of the sentence is
irrelevant. You can't raise.
Splashing the Pot
In some home games, it is customary to throw chips directly into the pot. In a
public card room, this is cause for dirty looks, a reprimand from the dealer, and
possibly stopping the game to count down the pot. When you bet, place your chips
directly in front of you. The dealer will make sure that you have the right
number and sweep them into the pot.
One Chip Rule
In some card rooms, the chip denominations and game stakes are incommensurate.
For example, a $3-$6 game might use $1 and $5 chips, instead of the more
sensible $3 chip. The one-chip rule says that using a large-denomination chip is
just a call, even though the chip may be big enough to cover a raise. If you
don't have exact change, it is best to verbally state your action when throwing
that large chip into the pot. For example, suppose you are playing in a $1-$5
spread-limit game, the bet is $2 to you, and you have only $5 chips. Silently
tossing a $5 chip out means you call the $2 bet. If you want to raise to $4 or
$5, you must say so *before* your chip hits the felt. Whatever your action, the
dealer will make any required change at the end of the betting round. Don't make
change for yourself out of the pot.
Raising Forever
In a game like Hold'em, it is possible to know that you hold "the nuts" and
cannot be beaten. If this happens when all the cards are out and you get in a
raising war with someone, don't stop! Raise until one of you runs out of chips.
If there is the possibility of a tie, the rest of the table may clamour for you
to call, since you "obviously" both have the same hand. Ignore the rabble.
You'll be surprised how many of your opponents turn out to be bona fide idiots.
The Showdown
Hands end in one of three ways: one person bets and everyone else folds, one
person bets on the final round and at least one person calls, or everybody
checks on the final round. If everybody folds to a bet, the bettor need not show
the winning cards and will usually toss them to the dealer face down. If
somebody calls on the end, the person who bet or raised most recently is
*supposed* to immediately show, or "open", their cards. They may delay doing so
in a rude attempt to induce another player to show their hand in impatience, and
then muck their own hand if it is not a winner. Don't do this yourself. Show
your hand immediately if you get called. If you have called a bet, wait for the
bettor to show, then show your own hand if it's better. If the final round is
checked down, in most card rooms everyone is supposed to open their hands
immediately. Sometimes everyone will wait for someone else to show first,
resulting in a time-wasting deadlock. Break the chain and show your cards.
Most card rooms give every player at the table the right to see all cards that
called to a showdown, even if they are mucked as losers. (This helps prevent
cheating by team-play.) If you are extremely curious about a certain hand, ask
the dealer to show it to you. It is considered impolite to constantly ask to see
losing cards. It is even more impolite if you hold the winning cards, and in
most card rooms you will forfeit the pot if the "losing" cards turn out to be
better than yours.
As a beginner, you may want to show your hand all the time, since you may have
overlooked a winning hand. What you gain from one such pot will far outweigh any
loss due to revealing how you played a particular losing hand. "Cards speak" at
the showdown, meaning that you need not declare the value of your hand. The
dealer will look at your cards and decide if you have a winner.
As a final word of caution, it is best to hold on to your winning cards until
the dealer pushes you the pot. If the dealer takes your cards and incorrectly
"mucks" them, many card rooms rule that you have no further right to the pot,
even if everyone saw your winning cards.
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