If you want to win at poker, knowing the rules and making smart decisions is essential. One of the most important decisions to make is when to call a bet. While it may be tempting to raise in some situations, calling is a better option for many players. This article will explain what does call mean in poker and help you make the right decision in any situation.

A call is when a player puts chips into the pot that match an opponent’s bet amount. This can be done either verbally or by physically placing a chip into the pot. Generally, once you make a call, you cannot take it back, even if you change your mind later on in the hand. Moreover, if you have made a call and then raise later on in the same betting round, you must bet by at least the amount of your previous raise.

In no limit poker, and most other games that use betting limits, raising is done by increasing the size of your current bet by at least twice the amount of your opponent’s original bet. However, in some games, such as stud and high/low split poker, there are other rules that apply to raises. For example, in stud poker, the bring-in is paid by the player showing the lowest card. In low/high split poker, this is usually the dealer.

When you’re in early position pre-flop, it’s often best to call rather than raise when you have a weak hand against a tight player. This is because if you raise, they’ll assume that you have a strong hand and will be less likely to fold if they have a better one. This can give you a much better chance of winning the hand.

Another situation where you should call is when you have a monster hand, such as pocket aces, and the flop comes A-2-9. If you’re in late position, you may find it difficult to compete against the other players’ bets, especially if they have a good hand as well. If you call, the hand will continue to showdown and the player with the highest poker hand at that point wins the pot.

There are some times when it’s not a good idea to call, though. It’s generally not a good idea to call when you’re up against an aggressive player who is trying to steal your blind. This is because you will most likely lose the hand over the long run if you continually call their bets with marginal hands, which they can easily bluff.

Another situation where you should not call is if you’re in late position and your opponent has a very strong hand but is unlikely to bluff. This is because if you call, they’ll probably call your raises as well, and will end up with the highest hand at the showdown. In these situations, it’s often better to simply fold if you don’t have the best hand.