Calling in poker is among the most underestimated and poorly used moves in both free online poker and real money Texas Holdem poker games.
Players who call to much are referred to as "calling stations", and they tend to lose more often than not, however their calling is not the reason they lose their chips. They lose because they call for the wrong reasons.
In this free online poker article, we'll explain to you by way of example how to use calling in poker correctly.
Are there right reasons for calling?
A right reason for calling, an aggressive player might note, is also a right reason for betting instead. These are some situations where calling is reasonable.
- For example, if you have A-K in a board of 10-3-K-7-8, if you're first to act, you bet; you do not check and call.
- You value-bet. However, if you're not first to act, what should you do if someone else bets?
- Will you raise? Now, right reasons for betting are not-so-right reasons for raising. As you still have a hand you don't raise but neither do you fold.
The rule now, for the above hand, is:
- If you are first to act, you bet.
- If you are not first to act, and someone bets, call an amount less than or equal to the amount you intend to bet if you're the first to act.
- If the amount is greater, you fold. This rule applies only when you have a hand.
- Without a hand, like just Ace-high, you bet, but you fold to a bet.
- Don't call with Ace-high (unless out of curiosity).
Let’s try another hand.
You have 8-7 and the Flop is K-6-9. Your options are to check-call or bet. Now, betting is considered the better option, because you can make your opponent fold; after all, your hand is incomplete.
- Should you check-call, however (or call a bet), you may send a message to your opponent that you're most likely on a draw, and then your opponent may continue bullying you later.
- Nevertheless, you would like to complete a powerful hand, so you call.
- Just be sure you have the pot odds to call, however.
- If your opponent continues bullying you once you complete the Straight, you can raise.
Now, in another hand, you have A-6 in a Flop of 9-6-2.
- Because the flop comes small cards, anyone with big cards will fold to a bet.
- You can bet your Sixes. Or you can call, especially if your opposing player ended the hand right there with A-Q.
- You could call, and later, if your opponent keeps working you with small bets, you can call each small bet, because your odds are still acceptable.
- Furthermore, you can pair your kicker or your Six if you call.
Lastly, if you have Q-Q in a Flop of Q-10-10, you have your opponent dead.
If your opponent bets, and you raise, the chances are greater that your opponent will fold than not.
- For the reason that although your opponent could have A-Q, it is not likely because you know there are three Queens already out.
- Also an extra Ten is less likely for a similar reason.
- Your opponent may have K-J or A-K (for a useless Straight draw) or a Flush completer.
Give the opposing players openings to finish their hands, this way you hope to tempt more action from them. If an opponent completes the Straight or the Flush later, you will have the advantage. So keep calling, until everyone escalates.
This also applies if you think your opponent has the spare Queen or Ten. You may let your opponent just bet and bet through to the river, where he thinks you're calling because you just had a Queen or a small Pair, so at the river you can move your chips in.
Now, what is flawed with calling stations' calling beliefs?
- To start with: they call even with the pot odds against their favor. They normally chase inside Straight draws and they lose their chips in the long run when they keep doing so.
- Second: they call big bets with small, but marginal, hands even if they know they're beat. In a flop of 9-6-2 above, A-6 may call, but only when your opponents' bets are small. But when in front of a big bet, fold A-6 because you might not win against 9-x if you can't pair your kicker or turn Trips.
Calling stations will be the ones always calling with small pocket Pairs in the presence of overcards.
- Third: they generally think that every player is bluffing so they are always tempted to call even with Ace-high. Put simply, they call a bluff or something that looks like a bluff.
I hope these examples have helped you understand the poker call better. Try to recognise situations where the call can be a useful tool and don't get caught in the calling station mentality as that way lies poor play and no money!
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