The game of poker has a number of different rules and procedures for betting. These are designed to speed up play, prevent confusion and increase security. Some of these are specific to a particular type of game, while others apply to all games played in the same cardroom. While some minor differences exist between cardroom etiquette and the rules of individual games, most players adhere to the following general rules and protocol.
The ante in poker is an initial stake that must be paid by all players before the cards are dealt. This amount is normally equal to the fixed bet in the game. The ante may be placed by the dealer, by the player to their left (the button) or by one of the other players at the table. In some casinos the antes are collected by the house and used to pay the rake and other fees for the casino.
In a hand of poker the first player to act must either make a bet, called opening the round, or check their option. The option is a player’s right to raise on the first betting round, or “open,” the pot; if they decline to do so then the betting round ends with no additional money being placed in the pot (often referred to as a free roll). A player who checks their option must bet on the next hand or risk losing their option for the future.
During a betting round a player must call any bet that is made by other active players. A player can also raise their own bet, but they must match the highest raise so far or higher to win the pot. A second or subsequent raising of the same bet is called a re-raise.
When a player has a bad hand they can choose to fold their cards. When a player folds they must surrender their cards to the dealer, who must then spread them face up for all players to see before mucking them. Some games require that players “tap” their cards or hands before folding, while others have specific rules regarding how to do so.
When playing a cash game in a public cardroom, all bets are subject to what is known as table stakes rules. These are a set of guidelines that create a minimum and maximum buy-in for each deal, as well as rules for adding and subtracting money from the table during the course of a hand. This includes a rule that a player cannot remove their stake from the table without permission from the other players at the table, or at least waiting a short time after they have called a bet to do so. This is to discourage players from attempting to hedge their risk after winning a pot by leaving the table for a while, then immediately returning with a lower stake in order to “rathole.” This practice is generally prohibited at most poker tables.