Betting in poker

The sum of the opening bet and all raises is the amount that all players in the hand must call in order to remain eligible to win the pot, subject to the table stakes rules described in the previous paragraph.

As described below, some casinos alleviate this issue by allowing cash to be deemed temporarily "in play" while staff fetches chips.

Players who wish to always play with at least the buy-in limit will often carry additional chips in their pocket so that whenever they lose a pot they can quickly "top up" without inconveniencing the dealer or delaying the game.

Also, many jurisdictions require all such purchases (or, at least, all larger transactions) to be confirmed (primarily to ensure accuracy) by a supervisor or other staff member, potentially causing further delay.

Some informal games allow a bet to be made by placing the amount of cash on the table without converting it to chips, as this speeds up play.

In casinos and public cardrooms, however, the use of cash is occasionally restricted or discouraged, so players often establish a small cache of chips called the "kitty", used to pay for such things.

Players contribute a chip of lowest value towards the kitty when they win a pot, and it pays for expenses other than bets such as tipping the dealer as well as (where applicable) to pay for "rent" (formally known as time fees) and/or buying fresh decks of cards (while many public cardrooms include such costs in the "rake" or other fees, some charge separately for such things as playing cards and "rent"), and similar costs.

Public cardrooms often have additional rules designed to speed up play, earn revenue for the casino (such as the "rake"), improve security and discourage cheating.

An ante is a forced bet in which all players put an equal amount of money or chips into the pot before the deal begins.

Often this is either a single unit (a one-value or the smallest value in play) or some other small amount; a proportion such as a half or a quarter of the minimum bet is also common.

During such times, the player can be given a special button indicating the need to pay an ante to the pot (known as "posting"; see below) upon their return.

Online cash games generally use the simplified moving button as other methods are more difficult to codify and can be abused by players constantly entering and leaving.

The bring-in is normally assigned on the first betting round of a stud poker game to the player whose upcards indicate the poorest hand.

Posting in this context means putting an amount equal to the big blind or the minimum bet into the pot before the deal.

The post is a "live" bet, meaning that the amount can be applied towards a call or raise when it is the player's turn to act.

This can create a tactical advantage for the player if they choose not to play during the time they would otherwise spend in the blind in full ring games.

For example, straddling is permitted in Nevada and Atlantic City but illegal in other areas on account of differences in state and local laws.

Straddling is considered poor long-term strategy by most experts, since the benefit of obtaining last action is more than offset by the cost of making a blind raise.

Whoever is in possession of the "rock" is obliged to place a live straddle for double the big blind when they are in the UTG position.

The winner of the ensuing pot takes possession of the "rock" and is obliged to make a live straddle when the UTG position comes around to this player.

The maximum number of raises depends on the casino house rules, and is usually posted conspicuously in the card room.

A common exception in this rule practiced in some card rooms is to allow unlimited raising when a pot is played heads up (when only two players are in the hand at the start of the betting round).

Some (usually home) games treat the small blind as dead money that is pulled into the center pot.

Once the betting cap is reached, all players left in the hand are considered all-in, and the remaining cards dealt out with no more wagering.

In casino games, an exception is customarily made for de minimis amounts such as tips paid out of a player's stack.

This is to prevent circumvention of the rule against "ratholing" by leaving the table after a large win only to immediately buy back in for a lesser amount.

Table stakes are the rule in most cash poker games because it allows players with vastly different bankrolls a reasonable amount of protection when playing with one another.

There is a strategic advantage to being all-in: such a player cannot be bluffed, because they are entitled to hold their cards and see the showdown without risking any more money.

Some casinos and many major tournaments require that all players still involved open, or immediately reveal, their hole cards in this case—the dealer will not continue dealing until all hands are flipped up.

Finally, a player may also borrow money by betting with an IOU, called a "marker", payable to the winner of the pot.