Folding is a crucial part of the game, and knowing when to do it can make all the difference in your win percentage. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about the fold poker strategy and how to use it to your advantage.
Fold in poker is when you discard your cards and end your involvement in the hand, thereby forfeiting any money that was already entered into the pot. This is a key concept to understand, especially for new players who are often tempted to call or raise when their hands are not good. However, calling or raising too frequently can quickly turn your profit into a loss, so learning when to fold is an important skill to master.
The basic rule of folding is that if you have a weak hand, you should always fold it in the face of a bet. This is a crucial poker principle that should be followed at all times, no matter the situation or the player. When you fold, you are essentially giving up on the hand and surrendering any chance of winning it, so it is best to do so before your opponent can take advantage of you.
When deciding whether to call or fold, it is important to consider your opponent’s range and the pot odds you are being offered. You should also take into account the strength of your own hand, as well as any bluffing tendencies you may have. You should never make a decision based on the fact that your opponent is acting aggressively, as this could be an indicator that they are holding a monster hand and will not be bluffing as often.
Despite this, you should not be afraid to fold in certain spots, particularly if your opponent’s preflop behavior is suspicious. Nits and TAG players love to fold in these situations, as they prefer to avoid the sting of losing a buy-in when they are wrong. However, this approach is extremely dangerous and will make it much harder to generate big wins. If you are constantly folding in these spots, it is likely because of a mental leak and you should try to patch this as soon as possible.
As a general rule, you should not expose your folded cards to the other players at the table. This is considered rude and is a breach of poker etiquette. Furthermore, doing so will give your opponent additional information about your hand (e.g. if your face up card is a pair of sevens).
Many new players rely on their understanding of the game from watching televised poker tournaments or movies and believe that folding should only be done in specific circumstances. In reality, however, this is not the case. Almost all hands have some equity against your opponent’s betting range, and you should not be letting this go to waste by folding too often. If you find yourself folding more than half of the time, this is a sign that you are not using your fold equity to your advantage.
