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1. A call involves matching the amount already bet in order to see the next card (or to see the showdown, if the last card dealt was the river card). However, if you particularly like your hand you may also raise.
2. Go to the next level and win at Poker Texas Hold'em! This app allows you to easily and quickly check when to push or call an all-in, depending of the effective stack in play. Nash Push or Call Poker is.
3. In the card game of poker, a bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand which is not thought to be the best hand. To bluff is to make such a bet. The objective of a bluff is to induce a fold by at least one.

In the card game of poker, a bluff is a bet or raise made with a hand which is not thought to be the best hand. To bluff is to make such a bet. The objective of a bluff is to induce a fold by at least one opponent who holds a better hand. The size and frequency of a bluff determines its profitability to the bluffer. By extension, the phrase 'calling somebody's bluff' is often used outside the context of poker to describe situations where one person demands that another proves a claim, or proves that they are not being deceptive.^[1]

Pure bluff[edit]

A pure bluff, or stone-cold bluff, is a bet or raise with an inferior hand that has little or no chance of improving. A player making a pure bluff believes they can win the pot only if all opponents fold. The pot odds for a bluff are the ratio of the size of the bluff to the pot. A pure bluff has a positive expectation (will be profitable in the long run) when the probability of being called by an opponent is lower than the pot odds for the bluff.

For example, suppose that after all the cards are out, a player holding a busteddrawing hand decides that the only way to win the pot is to make a pure bluff. If the player bets the size of the pot on a pure bluff, the bluff will have a positive expectation if the probability of being called is less than 50%. Note, however, that the opponent may also consider the pot odds when deciding whether to call. In this example, the opponent will be facing 2-to-1 pot odds for the call. The opponent will have a positive expectation for calling the bluff if the opponent believes the probability the player is bluffing is at least 33%.

Semi-bluff[edit]

Calling Calling is the mechanism used to call a bet. This is essentially matching the amount that has been put in by another player in the form of a bet or a raise. If nobody calls, the hand is.

In games with multiple betting rounds, to bluff on one round with an inferior or drawing hand that might improve in a later round is called a semi-bluff. A player making a semi-bluff can win the pot two different ways: by all opponents folding immediately or by catching a card to improve the player's hand. In some cases a player may be on a draw but with odds strong enough that they are favored to win the hand. In this case their bet is not classified as a semi-bluff even though their bet may force opponents to fold hands with better current strength.

For example, a player in a stud poker game with four spade-suited cards showing (but none among their downcards) on the penultimate round might raise, hoping that their opponents believe the player already has a flush. If their bluff fails and they are called, the player still might be dealt a spade on the final card and win the showdown (or they might be dealt another non-spade and try to bluff again, in which case it is a pure bluff on the final round rather than a semi-bluff).

Bluffing circumstances[edit]

Bluffing may be more effective in some circumstances than others. Bluffs have a higher expectation when the probability of being called decreases. Several game circumstances may decrease the probability of being called (and increase the profitability of the bluff):

• Fewer opponents who must fold to the bluff.
• The bluff provides less favorable pot odds to opponents for a call.
• A scare card comes that increases the number of superior hands that the player may be perceived to have.
• The player's betting pattern in the hand has been consistent with the superior hand they are representing with the bluff.
• The opponent's betting pattern suggests the opponent may have a marginal hand that is vulnerable to a greater number of potential superior hands.
• The opponent's betting pattern suggests the opponent may have a drawing hand and the bluff provides unfavorable pot odds to the opponent for chasing the draw.
• Opponents are not irrationally committed to the pot (see sunk cost fallacy).
• Opponents are sufficiently skilled and paying sufficient attention.

The opponent's current state of mind should be taken into consideration when bluffing. Under certain circumstances external pressures or events can significantly impact an opponent's decision making skills.

Optimal bluffing frequency[edit]

If a player bluffs too infrequently, observant opponents will recognize that the player is betting for value and will call with very strong hands or with drawing hands only when they are receiving favorable pot odds. If a player bluffs too frequently, observant opponents snap off their bluffs by calling or re-raising. Occasional bluffing disguises not just the hands a player is bluffing with, but also their legitimate hands that opponents may think they may be bluffing with. David Sklansky, in his book The Theory of Poker, states 'Mathematically, the optimal bluffing strategy is to bluff in such a way that the chances against your bluffing are identical to the pot odds your opponent is getting.'

Optimal bluffing also requires that the bluffs must be performed in such a manner that opponents cannot tell when a player is bluffing or not. To prevent bluffs from occurring in a predictable pattern, game theory suggests the use of a randomizing agent to determine whether to bluff. For example, a player might use the colors of their hidden cards, the second hand on their watch, or some other unpredictable mechanism to determine whether to bluff.

Example (Texas Hold'em)[edit]

Here is an example for the game of Texas Hold'em, from The Theory of Poker:

when I bet my $100, creating a $300 pot, my opponent was getting 3-to-1 oddsfrom the pot. Therefore my optimum strategy was ... [to make] the odds againstmy bluffing 3-to-1.

Since the dealer will always bet with (nut hands) in this situation, they should bluff with (their) 'Weakest hands/bluffing range' 1/3 of the time in order to make the odds 3-to-1 against a bluff.^[2]

Ex:On the last betting round (river), Worm has been betting a 'semi-bluff' drawing hand with: A♠ K♠ on the board:

10♠ 9♣ 2♠ 4♣against Mike's A♣ 10♦ hand.

The river comes out:

2♣

The pot is currently 30 dollars, and Worm is contemplating a 30-dollar bluff on the river. If Worm does bluff in this situation, they are giving Mike 2-to-1 pot odds to call with their two pair (10's and 2's).

In these hypothetical circumstances, Worm will have the nuts 50% of the time, and be on a busted draw 50% of the time. Worm will bet the nuts 100% of the time, and bet with a bluffing hand (using mixed optimal strategies):

${\displaystyle x=s/(1+s)}$^[3]

Where s is equal to the percentage of the pot that Worm is bluff betting with and x is equal to the percentage of busted draws Worm should be bluffing with to bluff optimally.

Pot = 30 dollars.Bluff bet = 30 dollars.

s = 30(pot) / 30(bluff bet) = 1.

Worm should be bluffing with their busted draws:

${\displaystyle x=1/(1+s)=50\mathrm{\%}}$ Where s = 1

Assuming four trials, Worm has the nuts two times, and has a busted draw two times. (EV = expected value)

Under the circumstances of this example: Worm will bet their nut hand two times, for every one time they bluff against Mike's hand (assuming Mike's hand would lose to the nuts and beat a bluff). This means that (if Mike called all three bets) Mike would win one time, and lose two times, and would break even against 2-to-1 pot odds. This also means that Worm's odds against bluffing is also 2-to-1 (since they will value bet twice, and bluff once).

Say in this example, Worm decides to use the second hand of their watch to determine when to bluff (50% of the time). If the second hand of the watch is between 1 and 30 seconds, Worm will check their hand down (not bluff). If the second hand of the watch is between 31 and 60 seconds, Worm will bluff their hand. Worm looks down at their watch, and the second hand is at 45 seconds, so Worm decides to bluff. Mike folds his two pair saying, 'the way you've been betting your hand, I don't think my two pair on the board will hold up against your hand.' Worm takes the pot by using optimal bluffing frequencies.

This example is meant to illustrate how optimal bluffing frequencies work. Because it was an example, we assumed that Worm had the nuts 50% of the time, and a busted draw 50% of the time. In real game situations, this is not usually the case.

The purpose of optimal bluffing frequencies is to make the opponent (mathematically) indifferent between calling and folding. Optimal bluffing frequencies are based upon game theory and the Nash equilibrium, and assist the player using these strategies to become unexploitable. By bluffing in optimal frequencies, you will typically end up breaking even on your bluffs (in other words, optimal bluffing frequencies are not meant to generate positive expected value from the bluffs alone). Rather, optimal bluffing frequencies allow you to gain more value from your value bets, because your opponent is indifferent between calling or folding when you bet (regardless of whether it's a value bet or a bluff bet).^[3]

Bluffing in other games[edit]

Although bluffing is most often considered a poker term, similar tactics are useful in other games as well. In these situations, a player makes a play that should not be profitable unless an opponent misjudges it as being made from a position capable of justifying it. Since a successful bluff requires deceiving one's opponent, it occurs only in games in which the players conceal information from each other. In games like chess and backgammon, both players can see the same board and so should simply make the best legal move available. Examples include:

• Contract Bridge: Psychic bids and falsecards are attempts to mislead the opponents about the distribution of the cards. A risk (common to all bluffing in partnership games) is that a bluff may also confuse the bluffer's partner. Psychic bids serve to make it harder for the opponents to find a good contract or to accurately place the key missing cards with a defender. Falsecarding (a tactic available in most trick taking card games) is playing a card that would naturally be played from a different hand distribution in hopes that an opponent will wrongly assume that the falsecarder made a natural play from a different hand and misplay a later trick on that assumption.
• Stratego: Much of the strategy in Stratego revolves around identifying the ranks of the opposing pieces. Therefore, depriving your opponent of this information is valuable. In particular, the 'Shoreline Bluff' involves placing the flag in an unnecessarily-vulnerable location in the hope that the opponent will not look for it there. It is also common to bluff an attack that one would never actually make by initiating pursuit of a piece known to be strong, with an as-yet unidentified but weaker piece. Until the true rank of the pursuing piece is revealed, the player with the stronger piece might retreat if their opponent does not pursue them with a weaker piece. That might buy time for the bluffer to bring in a faraway piece that can actually defend against the bluffed piece.
• Spades: In late game situations, it is useful to bid a nil even if it cannot succeed.^[4] If the third seat bidder sees that making a natural bid would allow the fourth seat bidder to make an uncontestable bid for game, they may bid nil even if it has no chance of success. The last bidder then must choose whether to make their natural bid (and lose the game if the nil succeeds) or to respect the nil by making a riskier bid that allows their side to win even if the doomed nil is successful. If the player chooses wrong and both teams miss their bids, the game continues.
• Scrabble: Scrabble players will sometimes deliberately play a phony word in the hope the opponent does not challenge it. Bluffing in Scrabble is a bit different from the other examples. Scrabble players conceal their tiles but have little opportunity to make significant deductions about their opponent's tiles (except in the endgame) and even less opportunity to spread disinformation about them. Bluffing by playing a phony is instead based on assuming players have imperfect knowledge of the acceptable word list.^{[citation needed]}

Artificial intelligence[edit]

Evan Hurwitz and Tshilidzi Marwala developed a software agent that bluffed while playing a poker-like game.^[5][6] They used intelligent agents to design agent outlooks. The agent was able to learn to predict its opponents' reactions based on its own cards and the actions of others. By using reinforcement neural networks, the agents were able to learn to bluff without prompting.

Economic theory[edit]

In economics, bluffing has been explained as rational equilibrium behavior in games with information asymmetries. For instance, consider the hold-up problem, a central ingredient of the theory of incomplete contracts. There are two players. Today player A can make an investment; tomorrow player B offers how to divide the returns of the investment. If player A rejects the offer, they can realize only a fraction x<1 of these returns on their own. Suppose player A has private information about x. Goldlücke and Schmitz (2014) have shown that player A might make a large investment even if player A is weak (i.e., when they know that x is small). The reason is that a large investment may lead player B to believe that player A is strong (i.e., x is large), so that player B will make a generous offer. Hence, bluffing can be a profitable strategy for player A.^[7]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'call bluff'. The Free Dictionary by Farlex. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
2. ^Game Theory and Poker
3. ^ ^abThe Mathematics of Poker, Bill Chen and Jerrod Ankenman
4. ^[1]Archived December 28, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
5. ^Marwala, Tshilidzi; Hurwitz, Evan (May 7, 2007). 'Learning to bluff'. arXiv:0705.0693 [cs.AI].
6. ^'Software learns when it pays to deceive'. New Scientist. May 30, 2007.
7. ^Goldlücke, Susanne; Schmitz, Patrick W. (2014). 'Investments as signals of outside options'. Journal of Economic Theory. 150: 683–708. doi:10.1016/j.jet.2013.12.001. ISSN0022-0531.

General references[edit]

• David Sklansky (1987). The Theory of Poker. Two Plus Two Publications. ISBN1-880685-00-0.
• David Sklansky (2001). Tournament Poker for Advanced Players. Two Plus Two Publications. ISBN1-880685-28-0.
• David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth (1988). Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players. Two Plus Two Publications. ISBN1-880685-22-1.
• Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie (2004). Harrington on Hold'em: Expert Strategy For No-Limit Tournaments; Volume I: Strategic Play. Two Plus Two Publications. ISBN1-880685-33-7.
• Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie (2005). Harrington on Hold'em: Expert Strategy For No-Limit Tournaments; Volume II: The Endgame. Two Plus Two Publications. ISBN1-880685-35-3.
• Bill Chen, Jerrod Ankenman. The Mathematics of Poker.

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There are only four legal moves that players can do in poker: check, call, raise, and fold. Call and raise are the only two that remain constant throughout the game. But have you ever asked yourself what does call in poker really mean and how it can affect your game?

Call in poker means that you’re matching the bet of the player moving before you. If your opponent bets $2, calling means that you also need to place $2 before proceeding. If the bet is higher than the total chips you have on the table, you need to bet all your chips, or what we know as all-in.

It’s a straightforward move that every poker player should understand. But it can affect the decisions that other players make significantly. If you want to be a more competitive poker player, you need to understand what a call really is and learn how to take advantage of it.

Facts You Should Know About Call

Despite being one of the most basic poker moves, many people still can’t take advantage of a call. Aside from this, many enthusiasts also have some misconceptions about it. So, before we proceed, let’s discuss the 5 facts you should know about a call in poker.

Call Is Irreversible

Whenever you move in poker, the first move will always be your final move.

Announcing that you call means that you’re matching another player’s bet; you can’t get out of the game, and you can’t raise either. If you call, then suddenly retract it to a fold or raise, the dealer won’t honor your second move.

Mistakes happen, and players may unintentionally declare the wrong move, which is fine. However, if you keep making the same mistake, you lose the respect of other players. Some may even label you as an angle shooter, while others may use it to gain the upper hand when playing against you. So, before you call anything in poker, be sure that your hands are good enough for you to join the pot.

You Can’t Call a Lower Amount

Calling means that you want to match the bet of another player. You can’t call, then place a lower amount at the table. The dealer can penalize you for doing it because it’s a breach of game rules. Before you make the call, it would be best to consider your position and the number of chips you have.

Dealer Call Poker Games

The only time you can put a lower amount at the table is when the other player raises more than the chips you have.

If the other player raises to $5, and you only have $3.75 left on the table, calling means that you’re willing to bet everything. We also refer to it as an all-in, one of the most prominent displays of confidence in a player’s hand. Other than that, players aren’t allowed to put a smaller bet on the table when they call.

Call Doesn’t Always Mean Weak Hands

If you’re playing in more sophisticated tables, a flat call doesn’t always mean that their hands are weak. In fact, many professionals use it when setting traps for their opponents. If you believe that anyone who flat calls a bet only has a mid-range hand, you’ll often fall in these traps.

It would be best to consider your position and your opponents’ ranges when they call because it will give you more reliable data when making decisions.

Remember, as you learn to play more complex games, your opponents’ moves are mostly trivial when trying to determine their strength.

The key to becoming a more competitive player is to think ahead and consider what most people would do in a particular scenario.

Many professionals fall prey to these traps, so you have to be careful when thinking about your next moves.

Proper Calling Depends on Position

If you want to become a more competitive poker player, you need to understand proper positioning and how it can affect the moves you make. When you’re in an early position (one of the first players to move), a flat call displays weakness.

As a general rule, you should never flat call in an early position, especially when you’re doing it because your hand isn’t as strong.

Call in poker may seem simple and straightforward, but it conveys a lot of information to the other players. Aside from that, it also determines your postflop strategy and whether your next street will put you in a challenging situation. Always consider your following actions because a flat call in an early position means that many players can still affect your strategy.

Call Allows You to Be Cautious

If you’re only starting to understand poker, one of the first things you should learn is to play aggressively. However, this rule doesn’t always apply to everyone, especially if your hand isn’t that strong. If you want to play your hands, but you’re having doubts about it, a flat call will allow you to stay in the game without putting too much equity.

You have to consider many things when playing, but protecting your chips should always be your priority. Remember, once you run out of chips, you’re out of the game (tournaments and sit and go’s) or need to reload (cash games or rebuy tournaments). However, if you’re only going to call a mid-range hand, it’ll save you more chips. It also helps you avoid challenging situations that may require you to put more equity in the game.

Instances When You Should Call

Poker players only have four moves to work with, and all of these will represent what their hands are. If you want to call, you have to be more strategic because your opponents will use it as their basis for their moves. Here are some of the instances where a flat call is a good idea:

Call When You’re Setting a Trap

If you have a strong hand, you don’t want to be too aggressive because it forces the other players to fold out of the game. When the other players fold, you won’t extract value from your hand, which can help you offset your losses. What you want is to set up traps by flat calling your opponents, making them believe that you have a weak hand.

However, just like other poker strategies, you don’t want your opponents to figure out how you play. It would be best to use a mix of loose and tight plays to keep them wondering how strong your hand is, compared to what they have. It’ll require a lot of practice not to be aggressive when you have quad aces, but it’s one of the best ways to force your opponents to play loose.

Call When You’re Protecting Your Chips

If you have borderline cards, you don’t want to play loose because you’re putting too much equity in the game. Some examples of these hands are backdoor flush (three flushes at the flop) and a gutshot straight (1 more card to complete a straight).

If the table doesn’t require you to put too many chips, it’ll be hard for you to fold them. Raising wouldn’t also put you in an ideal position because you’re still holding an incomplete hand.

What you need for these situations is to protect your hand and your chips. A flat call will allow you to stay in the game without being bloating the pot too much (placing too many chips on the table).

Remember, poker outs will help you determine your odds of winning the hand, and knowing it will help you figure out your next move.

Only Call Your Opening Ranges

Many poker players, especially the ones that are still learning the fundamentals, play too many games. Some of them will only fold 10% to 20% of their hands, forcing them to lose most of their games. Remember, when you’re playing poker, you’ll lose more times than you win, so playing a lot of hands forces you to win more games.

Setting your opening ranges will make it easier for you to decide whether you should play a hand or not. If you’re playing tight, you should only call 10% of your hands and fold everything else. With the help of opening ranges, your games will be more manageable, and you won’t be in challenging situations as you enter the flop. It’s one of the first things you should learn in poker, and it’ll save you from playing hands that you may not win.

Instances When You Shouldn’t Call

A call is a strong move if you use it wisely. But there are some instances when it won’t be advantageous for you. In fact, some of them may even put you in a tricky situation, which can be detrimental to your strategies. Being a strong poker player means knowing his hand’s strength and thinking ahead on whether a call will be helpful or not.

Here are some of the instances where calling may not be a good idea:

Never Call a Big Blind

Calling a big blind is, almost always, never a good idea. Professionals call it limping, and it shows weakness with your hand. Remember, if you are the player under the gun (the first player to move), many players will still make their moves after you. If you flat call the big blind, you’re putting yourself in a tricky situation, especially when another player re-raises after you.

When you’re the player under the gun, an important rule you always need to remember is never to play a hand that you’re not comfortable re-raising. If you have borderline hands that you’ll fold if you see action, it would be better to stay out of the game. Of course, there’s a strategic advantage when limping, but it’ll require a high skill set and premium hands to support your move.

Never Call Bets When in Doubt

Similar to limping, you should never call when you don’t feel like playing the hand. It could be your odds to win the game or your intuition. Sometimes, instincts are so powerful that they can tell you what’s going to happen. If you’re having doubts about your hand, don’t call. It only means that you don’t have a strong one, and playing it would only waste your chips.

Aside from saving your chips from a potentially devastating hand, it also helps you avoid tilt. If you’ve been playing poker for quite some time, you know how tilt can affect your strategies. It makes you too emotional to make sound reasoning and practice keen observation. So, to help you minimize your triggers, fold when in doubt.

Never Call Just to See the Next Card

Another prevalent mistake that beginners make when playing is that they call the bet just to see the next card. They think that it’s a small price to pay for the chance to improve their odds. However, one crucial thing that many professionals understand is that, in many cases, a strong hand preflop will remain the best hand at showdown.

If you’re only calling to see the next card, you’re putting yourself in a more challenging situation. The more equity you have on the table, the harder it’ll be for you to fold. A better course of action would be to consider your odds for a made hand, and only play when you have a relatively high chance of drawing the cards you need.

Can You Raise After You Call?

You can raise after you call, but not on the same turn. If there are only two players left on the table, and you call, the betting round ends. However, if you’re at preflop, the big blind will be the last person to act. If he raises, each player gets another turn, and you can re-raise. It’s the only time you can call then raise, which is also a highly sophisticated move.

If you only call a raise, then 4bet (re-raise after a re-raise) after another player re-raises, it displays hand strength. The other players automatically think that you have a premium hand, and you’re trying to extract value from it as early as preflop. It’s also an effective way to steal the blinds, but you only have to do it when you’re within your range, and you have high odds of winning the hand.

Things to Remember Before You Call as a Beginner

Call in poker is straightforward, but you can use it to manipulate the other players and win the hand. You don’t have to be the best player to win games, but making the right calls can make you a more competitive player. Here are a few things that you need to remember before you move, which can help you win more or last longer at the table:

Hero Call Poker

• Always use a mix of loose and tight plays. Before you call, try to examine your previous games if you’ve become too predictable. It’s one of the pitfalls in poker, but you can easily balance it by having the right mix of tight and loose plays. It’ll keep your opponent guessing what your hand is, making it easier for you to extract value when you have premium hands.
• Always consider your position before you call. How many players will make their move after you? If there are at least 5 more players, a flat call can put you in a tough spot. Imagine if you call, then the next player raises, and another player re-raises. Will your cards be able to support calling a 4bet? If not, then it would be better not to play your hands and save some chips.
• A call can strengthen or devastate your strategy. Making the right call can improve your position. It allows you to move to the next street without having too much equity in the pot. However, it can also prevent you from gathering data from your opponents, which is a crucial factor that will help you win games.
• An incorrect call can put you in a tricky situation. There are times when you’re drawing dead—playing a made hand that is bound to lose. It happens when you make an incorrect call that can’t help you establish your position or have an idea of how well your cards stack up against your opponents. Aggressive plays can simplify poker, but you’re not playing aggressive if you’re only calling most of the bets.
• Calling or raising depends on various conditions. Aside from position and making yourself unpredictable, you also need to consider the cards you have before you call. Are you trying to set a trap, value betting, or bluffing? Remember, bluffing is another way for you to offset your losses, and you can’t bluff your opponents if you’re only calling their bets.

Conclusion

Call Pokerstars Support

A call is one of the moves that players can do in poker. It may be a straightforward rule that doesn’t require in-depth analysis. However, it’s also the one that has the most significant impact on a game.

Call Poker Hands

If you want to be a more competitive player or simply improve your results, you should first learn how to take advantage of a call. The proper use of this move will make you more unpredictable and allow you to set traps when possible, while also protecting your chips.