As any good poker player knows, the rounds of betting are the most important part of any poker game. To win at poker and maximize this winning, a player should understand how to make good bets and how to make his opponents put in as much money in the pot. These poker betting tips will set you on your way to poker riches.
First, understand the words being used in the game. During the betting rounds, a player may check, call, raise or fold. A check means a player is passing up on his turn without betting or folding. If, however, another player decides to bet in the round, the first player is then compelled to at least call, or match, the bet to stay in the game. A raise means placing a bet higher than the minimum bet. When one player raises, the other opponents may call the bet or raise it even higher. A fold means a decision to leave the game without placing any bet, and is signified by throwing the cards down on the table.
Your bankroll is the money a player has to bet with in the game. As with any gamble, the player must be ready to give up this money, depending on how the game turns out. A wise thing for a player to always keep in mind, therefore, is to bet only as much as one is willing to lose. A player must not bet money that he will regret losing as his opponents will sense this and exploit it. On the other hand, a strategic player can also use this to his advantage by sensing which of his opponents is unwilling to lose much, observing his opponents' thresholds, and then raising the bets beyond said thresholds, forcing them to bow out of the game and fold.
A worthwhile strategy for a player to adopt is to maximize winnings by betting in a way that also maximizes the size of the pot. If a player is confident of the winnability of the hand he has been dealt, he should raise and hope his opponents will call, thereby adding to the pot. This tactic must be carefully used, though, as one would not want to raise too high, leading his opponents to fold instead of calling, and thus not adding to the pot. Employing this strategy and the other poker betting tips thus requires having a good read of the opponents and their personal quirks.