When playing poker, there are many elements to consider. It is a game of bets, luck but also strategy.
Unlike other casino games like slots or bingo played on a Samsung, poker does not rely only on luck. You can develop the necessary strategies and work on your game to improve and increase your chances of winning.
For example, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced poker player, it’s important to know when to fold in a poker game. In other words, it’s important to know when to withdraw from the game.
Learning when to fold at the right time will help you limit your financial losses and will make playing more enjoyable for you. The lower your losses, the more poker games you can continue to play!
This article will provide some easy tips that you can follow in order to fold at the right time.
What is poker?
Before diving straight into the technicalities of poker, it’s worth giving explaining what poker actually is. If you’re a beginner, this will help you understand what ‘folding’ means and when it usually happens.
Poker is an old betting game believed to date back from the 16th century. It originated in modern-day Germany and later spread to other countries.
There are different versions, or variants, of poker. The game that was played in the 16th century was very different to the most predominant version of poker played today.
Nowadays, there are many different versions of poker available to players. You can try these out different variants and pick the one that you like the most.
Some of the most famous variants include Texas Hold’em and Omaha Hi.
Traditionally, poker was played with a single 52-card pack. However, many online casinos are now offering poker games with two 52-card packs instead of one.
So, poker is changing because venues are also changing. With the rise of online casinos, poker variants are in demand as players want to try out new casino games.
To attract customers and beat the competition, some online casinos are offering new poker variants or even creating their own.
But how is poker actually played? Well, although some things will vary depending on the poker variant that you play, some rules will stay consistent throughout all poker games.
In all types of poker games, players will receive a certain number of cards. Depending on their cards, they will either have a winning combination by the end of the game or not.
Some players can win with a bad combination if they manage to bluff convincingly. If their bluff is successful, other players will ‘fold’ and will hand them the victory.
The vast majority of poker games will include tokens. Players will use these tokens to place their bets.
They can choose to ‘call’, ‘raise’ or ‘fold’.
To ‘call’ is to place the same number of tokens as the other players.
To ‘raise’ is to ‘raise’ the stakes or to put in more tokens than other players.
And, finally, to ‘fold’ is to withdraw or to not put any tokens in and to lose the ones that you’ve already put in.
Now, when should you ‘fold’? How long can you bluff before folding?
When to ‘fold’ in poker
Here are a few tips to follow to fold at the right time.
Fold depending on the variant of poker you are playing
Before playing a game of poker, make sure you know which variant you’re playing and what the rules of that game are. The type of poker variant you’re playing will have an impact on when you should fold.
If you’re playing a poker variant in which there are community cards, such as Texas Hold’em, then you should fold a lot earlier than if you’re playing some of the other poker variants out there.
Most professional poker players fold at the very beginning of a Texas Hold’em poker game. They fold before the betting begins to assess the bets that are being placed.
This is called a preflop strategy.
Understanding and establishing a preflop strategy
To establish a preflop strategy, you need to have some understanding of the hand ranges that you can play and that you would agree to play around the poker table.
Basically, there are different seats around a poker table. Depending on where you’re seated, you might want to change your strategy or assess your cards and that of the other players differently.
A hand range refers to what your opponents might be holding in their hands. It’s a way for you to try and anticipate the cards they’re holding and, subsequently, the quality of their game.
If you think your opponents have much better hand ranges than you, you can choose to fold. You can also go for the riskier option which is to bluff.
However, be careful with this strategy as your opponents will also be using the ‘hand range’ technique to guess your cards. This might lead them to see through your bluff.
Acknowledging the signs that you should fold
If a very strong player, who does not bluff, is suddenly placing very high bets and raising the stakes, you should fold. If your hand is not worth it, there’s no point in going against them.
Similarly, if a more experienced or talented player is raising the stakes, you can use that opportunity to fold. On the other hand, if you’ve got a very good hand, or find that the other players are not raising the stakes too high, then you can continue to play.
Final thoughts
This article discussed some of the tips that players can follow to learn how to fold in poker games. It mainly comes down to the poker variant that you’re playing, your hand range estimations, your preflop strategy, your level of experience and how good your hand is.