Poker · Stage 3: Reading and betting

New to poker? Play your first hands, with a coach at every decision. Practice points only.

Why you bet

Every bet should have a reason you can say: to be called by worse, or to make better fold. Bluffs are part of the second, used less often than value bets. A bet with a draw does both: it may make better hands fold, and it can still win if called. That is a semi-bluff.

A bet has two good reasons. To be called by worse hands, when you are probably ahead: a value bet. Or to make better hands fold, when you are probably behind: a bluff. If a bet would be called only by better hands and fold only worse ones, it gains nothing, and checking is better.