How betting rounds work

Hold'em has up to four betting rounds: preflop, flop, turn and river. The rules for each round are the same; only the starting seat changes. Get these right and most table arguments disappear.

Who acts first

Action always moves clockwise, one player at a time. If a straddle is on, preflop action starts left of the straddler, and the straddler acts last.

When a round is over

• Everyone still in the hand has put in the same amount this round, or is all-in, and

• Everyone has had at least one chance to act.

• If everyone checks, the round is over and the next card comes.

• If all but one player folds, that player wins the pot straight away — no need to show.

A round in practice

Blinds 1/2, five players. Pot figures include the blinds.

How much you can bet

Minimum raise (no-limit and pot-limit): a raise must be at least as big as the last bet or raise in that round. Blinds 1/2: if someone raises to 6 (a raise of 4), the next re-raise must be to at least 10.

Short all-ins: if a player goes all-in for less than a full raise, the players who already acted can call or fold, but they can’t re-raise — the betting isn’t reopened for them.

Say it, then do it

• Saying an action out loud (“call”, “raise to 20”) commits you to it.

• If you don’t speak, the chips you push forward in one motion are your action. Going back to your stack for more without saying “raise” is a string bet — it counts as a call.

• Facing a bet, a single big chip pushed forward without a word is a call, not a raise.

• Keep bets in front of you until the round is over, so everyone can see the amounts. The dealer pulls them into the pot.

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