"Poker may be a branch of psychological warfare, an art form
or indeed a way of life - but it is also merely a game,
in which money is simply the means of keeping score. "
- Anthony Holden, player and author of "Big Deal"

So far, you've learned enough to apply some understanding to the core of poker: betting. To bet or not to bet is the ultimate question. Poker is essentially a game of chip management and requires enough skill to minimize chip loss with less win-able hands and maximize chip gains with win-able hands. All poker games give players at least one opportunity to bet on their hands.

The three most popular variants of poker are:

DRAW POKER - Players are dealt a complete hand (hidden from their opponents) and given the opportunity to improve it by exchanging cards. Most common is Five Card Draw.

STUD POKER - Players receive cards (face up and face down) with multiple betting rounds. Most common is Seven Card Stud.

COMMUNITY POKER - Players receive incomplete hands (hidden) and complete them by sharing face up cards available to all the players. Most common is Texas Hold 'Em.

In Draw Poker, forced betting starts with the Ante, which you learned from the basic poker terms in this guide is a small bet each player contributes to the pot at the beginning of every hand.

In Stud Poker, there is an Ante as well as an additional starting bet from the player with the lowest upcard after the first three cards are dealt (2 face down, 1 face up).

In Community Poker, there are no antes. Instead there are forced blinds - small and big - by two different players each hand before any cards are dealt.

In games with antes, betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer. In games with blinds, betting begins with the player to the left of the player(s) who have already put in stakes. Continuing rounds, depending on the variant, are generally started by the active player sitting to the left of the dealer or by a player who made a specific action in the previous round. In Stud games, for example, where some cards are dealt face up, betting begins with the player with the best (or worst) hand showing.

As you've already learned, each round of betting could include checks, bets, folds, calls, raises and re-raises until all active players check, call the last bet or raise, or there is only one active player left in the game. Many times a player bets, all others fold and the betting player simply wins the antes or blinds.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When it is their turn, a player must clearly state what they are doing by saying out loud what action they are taking - "I call," "I raise." Pushing chips toward the pot or discarding cards are also clear visual statements of betting and folding, respectively, as well. Once a player has indicated what they plan to do, they cannot change their mind. A player cannot act like he's calling, observe reactions and raise.

To review:

Ante: Small bet each player makes at the beginning of every hand - pay to play - that ensures a minimum pot to seed the action before any cards are dealt.

Blind: Instead of antes, community poker games like Texas Hold 'Em, use forced blinds paid by two players every hand to ensure a minimum pot to seed the action before any cards are dealt. Blind players change every hand as the dealer button is moved around the table.

Betting: Depending on the variant being played, betting rounds occur at a variety of points in the game after cards are dealt, giving players the opportunity to make and increase their bets. Play continues clockwise for active players for as many times necessary to ensure equal stakes for all players still in the game. If only one active player remains, that player wins the pot or if more than one active player remains after all rounds of betting, a showdown of hands determines the winner of the pot.