In poker, calling means to make a bet in a betting round. It is considered a good strategy to call as much as possible, especially with weak hands. However, players must also consider their opponents’ actions and bet amounts when calling. Generally, it is not acceptable to raise out of turn. Raising out of turn gives the player in-turn information they would not have otherwise had, and can be disadvantageous to the other players.
In fixed limit games, the player who opens the action may post a kill blind. This is usually 1.5 times (a half kill) or double (a full kill) the amount of the big blind. The players who remain to act must pay this amount if they wish to continue with the hand. This rule is intended to speed up the hand by eliminating the need for a count of the remaining bets.
A player who wishes to continue with their hand but does not have the full amount of their stake in chips to call must declare themselves all-in. This enables them to hold their cards indefinitely and keep interest in the current pot, but prevents them from winning any more money from the other players in the hand. An all-in player must still pay the full amount of the blinds and any further bets to continue with their hand. This declaration can be made verbally or by discarding their cards face down into a pile of other discards called the muck.
When a player is faced with a bet they must either call or fold their hand. If they call, they must match the bet facing them and may then increase their bet if desired. If they fold, they forfeit any interest in the current hand and cannot re-enter the hand. They can signal their intention to fold by placing their cards into the muck, which is also known as mucking.
If a player does not want to call or raise, they can simply check. A player can check by tapping the table with a fist, knuckles, open hand or the index finger(s). Checking means that a player declines to open and remains eligible to win the pot, subject to the table stakes rules. If a player raises after checking in a betting round, they are said to check-raise.
Players must always be aware of the current size of the pot. Occasionally, players lose track of the bet amount and raise or call out of turn. This can slow the game down significantly, so it is best to allow the dealer to maintain a record of the current bet amount. In addition, raising or calling out of turn usually gives the player in-turn erroneous information about the actions of the players to their right, which can be disadvantageous to other players.