Tournament Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
Draw Poker and its variants.
Draw Poker and its variants. The player who opens the pot is permitted to bet only one unit. After the draw, the opener must bet two units. He is not permitted to check, nor can he bet anything other than two units.
Stud Poker and its variants.
Stud Poker and its variants. The player who holds high card on the first betting round must bet one unit; he cannot check or drop out. During each succeeding round of betting, the high hand must bet one unit. But if the high hand shows a pair or better, the holder may bet two units. He may, however, check or drop out (fold). After the first bettor of a particular round has made a legal bet as described here, other players may raise either one, two or three units. If a player checks, he is not permitted to raise in the same betting round. In other words, sandbagging is illegal in a friendly or social Poker game. The maximum number of raises during any given betting round cannot exceed three.