Knowing the Correct Time to Make a Call

Very often, calling, compared with betting, folding and raising, is the least used by the pros, and when it is utilized by amateurs, do it an improper manner that leads to heavy losses. However, calling does have a place in Poker, and the key is to know when to use them.

There are several cases wherein calling can become a vital Poker strategy. An example would be if you are sitting in the blinds and the player on the button raises you.

Here the obvious tactic to employ would be to call. The reason is that if you make a bet, the pot will increase, and if you are uncertain of the value of your hand, could end up paying your opponent a lot of money. By calling, you will be able to maintain control of the pot.

Another advantage of using this particular Poker strategy is that if the player is loose, it will encourage him to play more marginal hands. Suppose you hold an A6 and your opponent on the button has KQ. You call, go to the flop and it is Ace high; you will beat him. If you bet and get called, it is almost certain that he has your hand beaten.

There are game situations when calling can become an instrumental and winning Poker strategy. For example, if your opponent thinks that he has the best hand, you should just call, and when the time comes, you can make the raise against him. Another time when calling can be useful is when you are holding suited connectors or pocket pairs. Here you will want to call, so you can get the chance to see the flop cheaply.

If you are in the big blind, calling is also the option you should use if you do not have a Poker hand worth raising, and if the rest of the table is also calling. If you are in middle position with the nut hands, you will also want to call; if you raise, that might cause alarm bells to go off among the players who are yet to act. By calling, you will be able to keep them in the pot.

As you can see, there are a lot of instances wherein you can use calling to your advantage. It is not calling per se that is bad, but rather it is the way that players use them. By knowing the circumstances, you can make this Poker strategy work for you.